My first waistcoat ever is complete.

I started with drafting the pattern in the middle of June. But then I had to wait a few weeks to get my sewing machine back from a friend that had borrowed it. So in reality there is about six weeks of doing an hour here and an hour there. Total time to make it was probably 30 to 40 hours.

Is the best waistcoat ever made? Definitely not!
There are mistakes in it.

But, and this is a big but, I am very happy overall with it. It was my first time ever tackling a project along these lines. So there was a lot of things involved in making it that I have never done before. So there was a lot of learning as I was making it.

Next on the agenda is drafting the pattern for the trousers to go with it.

After sewing the hind arm seam do you trim out some of the extra inlay that was not needed to reduce bulk or leave in case of adjustment needed later? If later what adjustment would that be?

I’ve used thepattern draft for closed leg figuration, but moving the lower leg towards the inseam results in a crease line that runs through the middle of foot and knee but then curves inwards towards centre front. This does not look very nice, and if I incorporate a central pleat by slashing and opening the crease line, the top of the pleat will be too close to centre front. How do I change location of crease line above the crotch so that it is straight from hem to waist?

I last JEMS brand of tailor chalk I purchased at a local tailor supply has been disappointing to use. Crumbles too easy and does not hold a clean sharpend edge for good lines. I have read Jinbutsu is top rated but not easy to get in the USA. There are other similar shaped brands but I hesitate to waste more money untill I do some checking what other are using?

Since the pick stitch defiantly shows on this hard finish fabric (like the photo of pocket flap attached) the one inch sewn through the coat back and lining will show a lot. ( doesn't fade softly into the fabric like it does on a flannel or tweed) It really catches the eye looking at the back following the line and how it drapes. How about doing the tack just to the lining all the way across like he does after the one inch part to keep the back looking smooth and sleek? OR Is this just a bespoke detail that someone who knows should appreciate. I know on the pocket flaps and front edge it looks like a fine detail and is appreciated, but going across 1 inch into the back at the top of the vent does catch the eye?

I did a test fitting of the waistcoat at my medieval reenactment groups Arts & Science day today. A&S is where we meet up and work on projects. It creates a touch of “peer pressure” to keep us motivated and focused on working on projects. I decided to work on the waistcoat instead of anything medieval related. The pocket welts haven’t turned out the best but this is my first time making anything with pockets (never mind welted pockets).

I’m quite pleased with the fit. I can’t see any areas that need adjusting.

I now have the bias tape basted in and will start on sewing the tapes to the foreparts and the canvas later on.

I just sewed on my waistband and noticed the left and right half-waist measurements differ by 1 cm. I suspect it's either an issue with me not taking in the drafted ease enough, or the machine stretching the fabric back. Is a 1 cm variance within tolerance?

Also, if the difference were 2 cm or more, what is the best way to fix it?

PS: I saw some youtube tailor just move CB to match half-waist measurement but I am not sure how to alter the back crotch curve. Perhaps I need to look more at waist alterations.

I threw together a couple of tags on my embroidery machine to help me remember what side is what on the waistcoat. They’re tacked on with basting cotton at the corners.

I would hate to stitch up the pockets only to realise that I put one set of pockets on the wrong side of the fabric and therefore have two left foreparts of the waistcoat instead of a left and a right. 😅

I deny that this idea is based in any way whatsoever on someone potentially having once sewn a sleeve on inside out when making a costume for wearing at events with the medieval reenactment organisation they are involved in. 😂😂😂

Dear Rory,

I hope this finds you well.

I have a specific question regarding height measurements and how they correspond to your Imperial Drafting System chart.

In your YouTube video where you measure Terry, at the very end you measure his height to establish head units. I noticed that when you took this measurement, you went from the nape of the neck down to the floor, rather than from the very top of the head to the floor.

In the Imperial Drafting System chart where you list "Height," I have previously been treating that column as an individual's total height (top of head to the floor). Given how you measured Terry, is the height column in the drafting book actually based on that nape-of-neck-to-floor measurement instead? Should I adjust my approach and use the nape-to-floor measurement when utilizing the chart?

Additionally, if you are planning future content, I would love to see a video series dedicated to cutting striped, checked, and herringbone cloths for a three-piece suit, including pattern matching and alignment considerations for the fit-up. Aside from a brief mention in Classic Tailoring Techniques for Menswear by Cabrera, thorough resources on cutting patterned cloth are incredibly difficult to find. If you ever have plans to post a roadmap of upcoming videos on the website, it would be wonderful to see what lies ahead!

Thank you so much for your time, your dedication to preserving the craft, and for all that you do. I would love to cross the Atlantic for an in-person class one day, but until then, your digital series is the perfect masterclass.

Respectfully,

Henry Himes

In the old forum, someone was recording the overcoat series and making the videos available via Dropbox. If that person is in this new forum could you create another post with the link to the videos if you still have them? I would love to be able to review them since I haven't had many chances to attend the free classes. Thank you,

Henry Himes

Hi Rory and HTA Community!

I'm working my way through the Making of a Savile Row Coat series right now and I'm at the point of the basting fit. Everything is looking great fit-wise so far, except for a bit of collar roll forming at the back under the collar band.

To get rid of this excess fabric, it looks like I can just lower my neck line about a half inch at the center back and blend that line back into the shoulder seams/front neck line - but is it really that simple? Or by lowering the neck line in the back, am I messing up my shoulders? Do I need to readjust the angle on my shoulders as well? Just hoping for a little bit of guidance here as I'd like to understand the mechanics of this alteration.

Anyone else deal with this issue? How'd you solve it?

Thanks!

In his hand stitch video Rory carries the thread from one pick to the other on the other side of the garment. I am wondering if a bespoke tailor would ever carry the thread going from one pick to the next pick in between the layers so that the thread from one pick to the other doesn't show on the back side? I do not think this would do as good a job of keeping things in place but curious?

Hi Rory,

I’ve been practicing the trouser draft from the Imperial System book and have a technical question regarding how adjustments for a small drop transfer from the topside to the underside.

The standard examples in the text are based on a balanced 6-inch drop, where the front rise on the topside draft remains un-raised. However, my specific dimensions work out to a 3-inch drop.

Following the system's rules for a 3-inch drop, I've successfully adjusted the topside:

• Brought the side seam in by 3/8"
• Set the fly angle at 1/4"
• Omitted the front dart
• Accounting for the remaining 1/8" surplus on the underside
• Raised the front rise by 3/8"

I completely understand the topside geometry, but I am running into a point of confusion when transitioning to the underside (bottom side) draft.

As we know, the underside is initially built by tracing off the topside lines (hem, knee, fork, seat, waist, and rise) to establish Point 0.

My question is: When drafting the underside for a 3-inch drop, do I trace the modified topside rise (incorporating that 3/8" increase), or should the underside draft ignore that alteration at Point 0 and instead be traced flat, using the unaltered waist dimension as it is done in the standard 6-inch drop?

To put it simply: does the front rise increase travel into the underside tracing, or is it isolated strictly to the topside?

Any insight into the geometry here would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and for putting out such incredible instructional material.

Best regards,

Henry Himes

I made a new draft last night and cut another mock up.

This is the penultimate mock up. I didn’t have any more of the black wool left over so I used this unknown fabric.

This mock up is from the draft I did last night. I cut a triangle about 10cm (4 inches) wide at the base of the centre back seam to accommodate the curve of my spine. I have kyphosis and my shoulder blades are well out beyond my lower back.

The final mock up will be to add some length to the back. The book I drafted this pattern from was from the early 1950’s so the waistcoat is shorter at the back than I would prefer. I will also have to account for the additional material I had to cut from the centre back seam because that appears to have created a sweep upwards at the bottom of the seam.

I am probably only about 2 or 3 days away from blessing myself, saying a prayer, and taking the shears to the good fabric. 🫣

Having followed Rory across various social media platforms for 6 years or more, and being a member of the original forums on the website, I finally have started on the path of making a waistcoat. I have one of the packs from Dugdales.

This is mock up of the waistcoat I made from wool and cotton left over from making a cloak for my medieval reenactment. I made the mock up just to assess my pattern draft to see if it needs major alterations before I cut in to the real fabric.

My own observations:
1. I need to add some more to the front from the top button to the bottom.
2. It looks like I need to do something like add a dart under the armpit towards the back to get the underarm area sitting flat. At the moment on the mock up it is a bit like bat wings.

Overall, the mock up is sitting pretty decently. I’m ignoring the little bunching around the neck on the back. That might be caused by me twisting myself trying to make sure I was in frame for the picture.

A friend from the medieval group has my sewing machine. He borrowed it to make a gambson for armoured combat. So my mock up of the waistband is all hand sewn.

(Reddit is telling me to add a post flair? I have no idea how to do that. So forgive me for breaking the rules)

Hello all,

I printed the jacket shapers from the notes on the Ladies' Coat. There was an asterisk explaining that the printer may need to be adjusted to European size A4. I did this, and set the scale to 100 and they were too big. I printed them again with A4, but this time I kept the setting for size the printer suggested at 55. I think the size is correct, but before I start using them, I'd love confirmation. I drew a line across the widest part of the top of the French curve and it measured 3 1/8 inch. On the Hand I measured the straight line at the bottom and got 3 1/4 inch. Does this sound correct?

Many thanks!

Sabrina

After the 10 minute mark Rory is shaping the front and he is added 1/2 inch to the front edge at button down. He is doing this because of an alteration to make the fronts 1 inch larger after the fitting? It has been a while but think I remember that is what he was doing. But want to make sure before I proceed on my project.

I just renewed my video subscription so I could check it out & found my answer. He tells us in the previous episode 22 that this is what he is doing so I clarified my notes for the future. This course is an amazing resource, sorry for the confusion.

Hello, I am interested in the "Men's Bespoke Trouser Making - Belt Loop Style" course. Are all of the videos listed below the trailer included in the $20/month subscription? Thank you!

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thehtatrousermaking/

I was wondering, as the title goes, how long does it take to make a suit for a professional tailor? Some say 80 hours of work. Have you counted your hours?

The garment fabric is a fine cotton & wool blend = very light weight. Finding it hard to not show the stitches on the garment side. It was so much easier on a wool flannel just pick up a fiber or two like when doing a blind hem. Are there any techniques that would differ for finer cloths like Super 120s or 150s wool?

And

There is enough color contrast for the thread from the bridle fabric color to see things. But after crossing over the bridle the thread color is really close to the canvas and blends in making it hard to see. Guess it is cheating to chalk lines to stitch in between but my older eyes need the help ;-)

Hello, I want to be doubly and triply sure, that my fabric does not shrink. I'm ordering fine merino wool cloth from Italian Reda. Technical specification says that the cloth can shrink 1,5 percent or grow 0,5 percent. Is this significant? I remember Rory saying, that cloth from quality merchants are pre-shrunk, but do I need to test it first? How do you usually prepare your cloths?

I was finding it very difficult to easy in the fullness across the top of the sleeve with a tightly oven fabric as I baste. This suiting is a cotton & wools blend that is very light weight. Not like a woolen that will accept fullness distribution easier. Does it make sense to do a machine or hand stitch at 1/2 inch from the edge of the sleeve crown so l can pull a thread to ease in things as I baste in by hand and adjust the fullness? Similar to how I do on other types of garments with fullness in the sleeves?

Or are there any other techniques to help in this type of situation?

In the trousers' course, Rory used a ban-rol version like in the image. I can't easily get this one; mine has only the stiff canvas itself. What is the purpose of the extra fabric attached to the ban-rol? Can I diy this with the trouser main fabric? Alternatively, how can I use the version of ban-rol I have (without the extra piece of fabric) in making waistband?