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Historical Tailoring Masterclasses

Historical Tailoring Masterclasses

Historical Tailoring Masterclasses

  • Shirts and Techniques
  • Trousers and Waistcoats
  • Coats
  • Community (New!)
  • Darts
  • Back Skirt
  • Coat Body and Pockets
  • The Facings
  • The Collar
  • The Sleeves

Linen Frock Coat

Setting the Sleeves

December 13, 2019 by James Williams

It’s now time to finally set the sleeves into the armscyes. While in the past I’ve used several rows of shirring stitches to help gather the excess material into the armscye, I’ve found that this is slow and tedious, and with a little practice, it’s quite possible to set the sleeves without the shirring stitches, …

Read moreSetting the Sleeves

Completing the Cuffs

December 13, 2019 by James Williams

Now that we’ve got the cuff basted in place, we can now move on to sewing the rear sleeve seam. The right side of this stitch should be on the undersleeve, as shown, and with the usual 1/2″ seam allowance. At the cuff end, the stitching stops 1/4″ beyond the start of the button inlay …

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The Cuffs

December 13, 2019 by James Williams

Now that we have the pattern issues straightened out, it’s time to begin the construction of the sleeves and cuffs. It’s actually quite involved, so this first section will cover up to the basting of the cuffs. Begin by laying the sleeve pieces on the table, right sides together. Baste along the front seam, working …

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Drafting the Sleeves

December 13, 2019 by James Williams

Following the instructions in my drafting tutorial, draft a basic sleeve. There are a couple of alterations to be made to the basic pattern. First, we are going to assume the original pattern found in Devere’s includes the seam allowances in the draft. When drafted this way, the sleeve will have about 2″ of extra …

Read moreDrafting the Sleeves

The Top Collar

November 28, 2019 by James Williams

It’s now time to install the top collar, which must be basted into place much like the front facings were, in order to ensure that it drapes correctly. Begin by pressing and basting the under collar seam allowance 1/2″ along the top edge. Do the same thing to each end. By doing the ends second, …

Read moreThe Top Collar

The Under Collar

November 28, 2019 by James Williams

If you have not done so yet, now is the time to draft your collar pattern using my guide in the Frock Drafting series. Here is my pattern, freshly drafted: Before cutting out the pattern, add a 1/4″ seam allowance along the bottom curved edge (or whatever you used for the neck seam allowance). Add …

Read moreThe Under Collar

The Back Facing

November 28, 2019 by James Williams

Before moving on to the collar and sleeves, it’s a good idea to get the back facing out of the way. This facing hides the top of the plait pockets and the vent, and also provides a little structure and stability to the back of the coat. Begin by measuring the inside of the coat, …

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The Back Vent

November 28, 2019 by James Williams

As soon as you finish the back seam, you’ll want to immediately begin work on the back vent, to prevent any tearing in the area. The left vent should overlap the right side of the coat. The exact position can be very difficult to figure out. It depends on the wearer’s posture and sometimes the …

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Completing the Back Seam

November 28, 2019 by James Williams

It’s now finally time to sew the two halves of the coat together. Lay the two halves, right sides together, on the table and align the back seam. Baste along the seam about 5/8″ from the edge, just outside of the seam allowance. At the bottom near the vent area, the top of the diagonal …

Read moreCompleting the Back Seam

The Shoulder Seams

November 28, 2019 by James Williams

It’s finally time to move on from the facings! We’ll begin sewing the shoulder seam by first removing any unnecessary inlays. Feel free to have a fitting beforehand if you want to fiddle with the fit more closely. With right sides together, line up the neck edge of the shoulder seam on the forepart with …

Read moreThe Shoulder Seams
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Inspiration

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”

Saint Francis de Sales

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