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Buttonholes and waistcoats
I've been doing a lot of sewing recently. A LOT of sewing...
#SouthernStarLongsword realised that we didn't show up very well in videos. The fronts of our waistcoats were fine - lots of different patterns and colours, but anyone with the dark back facing the camera, was almost invisible.
So, we went for a new set of waistcoats. I had a batch of yellow cotton fabric that I'd got from the Dorset scrapstore. Quite a large piece. We're using it to make new backs, and one of the team is printing the team logo on the backs.
The bit that throws me out now and again is not just different sizes (the pattern proves easy to adapt, but I'm actually poor at guessing how much bigger to make it, even after measuring. That's partly because hip circumference turns out to be key to waistcoat sizes, and initially, I was working on chest measurements.
Also, seam allowances are the devil. I'm using bias binding to finish some of the edges (particularly the arm holes on the yellow back) and this needs a smaller seam allowance than when I'm joining two pieces of fabric.
Some of the waistcoat fronts are in heavy fabrics and some in lighter weights. The thinner fabrics are made as a double layer. You take the left side of the waistcoat and the inside liner of the left side. Sew the two pieces of fabric right side touching right side (with a large gap in one seam). Then turn the whole thing inside out (called 'bagging out') and iron it. Voila! hidden seams and neat edges on all sides.
With heavier fabrics, a double layer of fabric would be too much. So, I finish those edges with either bias binding, or facings. But remembering which waistcoats to cut with narrow seam allowances (for bias binding) and which to do with the wider seam allowances, especially when different edges of a single piece of fabric may need different seam allowances...
Let's say that I occasionally get it wrong, but have managed to salvage the situations so far.
But the next waistcoat on the list is a silk brocade (gorgeous to look at) and there's only just enough to be able to get two waistcoat fronts out of it... Any mistakes and there's no recovery options at all. I'm going to make very sure I'm awake on the day I cut that one out!
Here's two of us in the new waistcoats. You can see how much difference it makes to the video.
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Very tired today, as I spent an hour and a half on both Monday and Tuesday teaching maypole dancing to cub scouts.
But I've almost finished the next waistcoat before the silk brocade one. This one is Winnie the Pooh polycotton, and much easier!
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