Working on this waistcoat was challenging because of my poor choice of fabric. It was too thick, it frayed badly, and the multi-colored weave made it nearly impossible to see the chalk marks and the thread basting. In addition, I made this waistcoat for myself, so I had to adapt the inner construction around the princess seams of my pattern draft to fit a full bust.
As someone who’s been sewing for decades, I think the hardest part for me was dealing with the inlay and the fact that the cut edges are not just a seam allowance distance from the seamlime, as I’m used to. There were many times I ended up adding extra basting to help distinguish between the edge of the pattern and where I wanted my seam lines. I’m guessing this concept will eventually become less awkward the more tailored pieces I create.
I’m on-hold before finishing my buttonholes as I practice, practice, and practice how to make the handmade buttonholes. (When I lived in NYC I went to a small business that would make professional buttonholes with a BH machine and finish my projects with perfect buttonholes for $1 each! Now that I’m taking these courses, it’s time to learn to make my own. Ha ha)
Here are some shots of my waistcoat up to this pre-buttonhole stage. I started to pick stitch along the front edges but it disappeared in this slubby, multi-colored fabric, so I only applied it to the neckline and the back of the waistcoat. I’m generally happy with the way it turned out. I learned a lot and the next one I create will be with a thinner cloth in a standard wool in a single color…and it’ll be for a man so I can use a less shapely pattern. 😀
Good for you. The best of luck with it
Great first effort. The challenges you met didn't prevent you from finishing the project, so you should be very proud of yourself.