when it rains, it pours...

[totchipanda]

So Roomie M is on the east coast with her mama (who is doing quite well now that her brain isn't being squeezed), my German fandom friend who I usually spend a couple hours a day just shooting the shit with has a complicated and heavy workload right now, and then last night Roomie J called emergency services because he had persistent chest pain through the day and just wanted to be sure it wasn't anything.

I don't have the full story yet, but EMS took him to an emergency care centre around 6 pm, and as of 10:40 pm he'd had an EKG and that was it. I was planning to pick him up, but at that time I decided to sleep, and he could call me when he was ready...

1:20 am, nothing.

Got up at 6:15 am, wasn't sure if I heard him snoring in his room (which the bathroom wall shares with his), but when I went downstairs to leave for work at 6:30, his house shoes were still by the door.

He messaged just after 9 am, having finally been released and bought a phone charger, bc his phone was dead. And he's now home, though he hasn't explained what all went down. At least I can breathe easier, knowing he's home after having been looked at by pros. Chest pain is nothing to mess around with!

So last night, I was home 100% alone. No roomies, no cats. I didn't like it, the house makes weird noises when you suddenly have the attention to hear them. I ordered a pizza (bc fuck cooking when I was that amped) and retrieved the pieces for my waistcoat. The one-year anniversary of the trade I made with a fan author is coming up on Saturday and while I was hoping to have it done by then, this year has been challenging.

Y'all, I don't know a damn thing about tailoring. Most modern books or instructions use fusible interfacings; I'm going semi-historical and have a piece of heavy linen inside (probably terrible idea, it likes to hold folds like it has for the last four months while I pretended like I had the energy to do home renos, it's not too late to take it off if I'm honest). Most historical books that I've been looking at so far only cover the drafting and very little about the construction. What most period sewing books have in the way of menswear is the softer items, shirts and undershirts, sometimes trousers but not always.

I've been using Nicole Rudolph's video about making a 1920s waistcoat as my primary "source" for the project, but I'd love to have some more sources. I found one (The Blue Book of Men's Tailoring; Grand Edition of Supreme System; direct link to the singular page on making vests) that is... brief. But more than I have seen in most books.

Part of the issue is that my friend requested a black suit, and I am using a very smooth, light Italian wool. This fabric shows EVERY stitch, so how do I keep things in place without basting them? Ugh I'm going to have to take the linen off and make a full body interlining, aren't I. I already put the pockets in!

Comments

[hharris]

I'd recommend, "Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket," by Creative Publishing International. Looks like you can get it used for less than $10. It covers all methods - custom, fusible, machine, and combination methods. Lots of color photos!

[totchipanda]

Oooh thank you! I'll check that out!

[totchipanda]

Some tailoring experience and much time later, plus a chance to see the interior of this book (thanks amazon) I'm going to be adding this to my collection. Thanks for the heads-up, this looks to be exactly what I need :)

[mala_14]

I hope your roomie is alright!

My thoughts about your waistcoat, but with the caveat that I don't know about historical techniques and only a little about tailoring in general. I wouldn't use anything heavy for interlining if your fabric is lightweight like that. You want something more crisp and stable than linen, because that layer is keeping the garment from bagging or sagging with wear. Consider silk organza, maybe cotton poplin. If you were using linen as an interlining for a lapel, that's different because that would get padstitched and the stitching would hold it all in place. Baste with really big stitches in silk thread if you have it to keep the interlining in place while you're working on it, but also sew the interlining to the pocket edges to keep it in place permanently (usually pockets would go in after interlining). I don't know if any of that's helpful, but I am super interested in tailoring and like to think and chat about it!

[totchipanda]

I really made this more complicated for myself, because I was following one of the only printed guides which was mostly about cutting and only a little about making up where the pockets were inserted first bc the interlining was only a partial one. But with my fabric being so light I really should have a full interlining. Boooo. I do have silk organza, and depending how the rest of my ambition this week goes, Fabricland SHOULD have some horsehair canvas, even if only online (FINALLY welcome to the 21st century Fabricland West). As a floating layer it should still be OK.

The linen was for stability in the lapel and front button area. It wouldn't have been padstitched EXCEPT on the lapel (which would go underneath). Really I should have made sure it covered the first dart so I could have at least stitched it through that.

[mala_14]

My Fabricland has horsehair canvas in the interfacing section. I hope yours does, too. If not, check out Wawak Canada online. They have lots of stuff and cheap shipping.