Shawl-Collared Waistcoat

The easiest way to lay out the buttons is to simply align the fronts of the waistcoat as shown. Mark the vertical position of each button, directly across from the buttonhole. Now mark the horizontal position of the buttonhole using a ruler. I usually make mine 3/8″ to 1/2″ in from the edge. Pass a …

This section is just an overview of what I did for the buttonholes, for a much more extensive tutorial, please see my other course, The Art of the Buttonhole. To begin, you need to lay out your buttonholes vertically along the left center front. The top buttonhole should be about 1/2″ below the bottom of …

We’ll now focus our attention on the collar in order to finish closing up the waistcoat. Opening up the collar at the shoulder area, the stitches closing the shoulder seam should end right at the collar. Turn under the raw edge of the back neck at this point 1/4″. Depending on your sewing accuracy, it …

We will now begin the process of bagging the waistcoat, which is a process used to assemble the waistcoat pieces into one unit. Begin by sewing the two halves of the back lining together, if you have not done so already. Press open. Lay the lining and back pieces right side together and baste along …

Onto the back belt! This is a fun little bit that I’ve always enjoyed doing, as it means the vest is nearing completion. Begin by measuring the width of the vest back, at about 3 inches above the waist. My pattern is pretty much parallel, hence putting the ruler at only 2 1/2″. To draw …

Now we are ready to install the lining. Lay the lining into place onto the inside of the forepart, wrong sides together, ensuring there is enough overlap on the edges to turn under and cover the facing edges. Baste from the top of the shoulder, slightly off center, down to the waist. Turn under the …

Just after attaching the facings, I like to finish off the armscye before adding the lining in. First, mark around the canvas on the armscye at a distance of 3/8″. Now, carefully trim away the canvas around the outside, making sure not to catch the fabric underneath. Now, fold up the fashion fabric over to …

To begin construction of the facing, first lay out your parts as shown. It’s easy to get the waist facing facing the wrong way, leading to a misalignment when attaching it to the forepart. With right sides together, baste the facing pieces together along the inner edge of each. Sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance. …

It is now time to cut out the facings and lining pieces for the waistcoat. While one could use a paper pattern derived from their original draft, I find it is often easier, especially for one-off projects, to simply take the pattern from the forepart itself. In addition, facings were usually constructed without and darts …

Now is the time to crease the collar along the roll line. Unlike a coat, in which the collar rolls over gracefully, the waistcoat is creased firmly with an iron to decrease the bulk under the coat. Lay the collar on your ironing board, and fold along the roll line. Press with the iron. It’s …