Dec 032012
 

I’ve been getting interested in Steampunk lately and have plans to make some suitable clothing and gadgets. I bought a pattern from Laughing Moon Mercantile for a frock coat and waistcoat. It bought some material to make the coat but then I found a vintage frock coat at a flea market for 25 Euros that was in pretty good shape. So I don’t have to make the coat right away. I started working on the waistcoat and before I cut into my “fashion fabric”, I decided to make a “muslin” to see how the pattern instructions worked and whether the thing would fit me or not. When I’m done it should look something like this:

The pattern (Laughing Moon Mercantile #109) contains a single- and double-breasted frock coat and 2 different waistcoats. It looks like this:

I measured myself and Β it looks like I need a size 40. I cut the major pattern pieces from muslin. I didn’t bother with the pockets or the back belt as I just want to see how the thing fits. I put it together and it looks like this from the front:

and like this from the back:

I think it fits me just fine! πŸ™‚

So now I get to do it all again. But this time I need to be much more careful because I will be using my “fashion fabric” which is a length I cut off an old curtain that I found at a flea market for 15 Euros. The “fashion fabric” is a nice gold damask. I already cut the pattern pieces out of it. Here’s a sample (unfortunately the photo isn’t that good, the fabric actually looks much nicer than this):

I’m not sure when I will actually get to finishing this. I do plan to get it done this winter, as I want to go to one or more Steampunk events next year and would like to have something to wear. To tell the truth, I’m really afraid to do the pockets. Luckily this pattern “Waistcoat B” only has 2 pockets instead of the 4 pockets in “Waistcoat A”. I think I’ll have to practice doing the pockets a few times with scrap fabric before I tear my “fashion fabric” to shreds πŸ˜‰

  2 Responses to “A Victorian waistcoat from an old curtain”

  1. Very interesting. Would suggest that you iron your curtain before cutting anymore pattern pieces. Have fun.

    • Thanks, Mom! I did iron the curtain before cutting and I’ll definitely iron the pieces again before putting it together. I had just stuffed them in a bag and wanted to post some pics for the blog article so didn’t bother to iron them again. I didn’t know that “eagle eye” Barbara would be watching πŸ˜‰