Beginner Waistcoat

A waistcoat, with only a few seams, is one of the easiest garments to fit. After you have constructed your toile, try it on, and look for any excess fabric, or pulling. This will help you decide on the adjustments to be made on the pattern. At the waist, is the waistcoat loose or tight? …

With the pattern cut out you can cut out your cotton muslin to make a toile for fitting purposes. Please refer to the video for more detailed construction. First, cut out your fabric with the center back placed on the fold, following the grain alignment marks for both front and back. Any darts are simply …

Before cutting out your pattern (or after if you forget!), it’s a good idea to check your measurements one last time. Here I’ve got them all laid out for you in one diagram. Remember that you want to measure without including the seam allowances. Also, keep in mind that any pattern is just a start …

If you have a very athletic build, you may be able to add a dart to the front for additional waist suppression and more shape. These darts should only be added if your waist measurement is at least 6″ smaller than your chest measurement. First, determine the position and length of your dart, usually at …

With your draft done, you’ll need to add a few seam allowances to make sure it fits properly. Since this is only going to be a muslin toile for fitting purposes, I typically add seam allowances only at the shoulders and side seams. I’d recommend 3/8″ (actual inches) here, as it gives more room to …

With the back completed, we can move on to drafting the front of the waistcoat, or forepart. Begin by drawing another vertical line about 2 – 3 inches away from the back piece – just to give yourself room to work with. Mark the following points from 0 in graduated inches. Square across from these …

Before drafting, lay out your paper on the table. You’ll want to have a big enough piece to be able to fit the entire draft. The draft is started by drafting a vertical line along the left edge – this will become the center back. Mark 0 at the top and then using the graduated …

The basis of any good pattern depends upon first taking good and accurate measurements. This definitely takes some practice though, so just get as close as you can. And before you take measurements, it’s a good idea to examine the posture and shape of the person your measuring (if it’s yourself, use a camera or …