18th century period waistcoat

I finally managed to find some time to take a few more photos of the garments we've been working on before we wind down our building season here at work. We've made it through three dress rehearsals without too much trauma, the quick changes have worked, actors are comfortable and our designer was happy with the show so it is a nice way to be ending the season.

This is a period waistcoat for our leading man, and the fabric that the designer chose is so beautiful and evokes the eighteenth century to me. I find it interesting that many fabrics and patterns in fabrics are available today that had their heyday centuries ago. They are mostly found in furnishing fabrics, not fashion fabrics per se, but some designs are classic in the truest sense of the word- they resonate with us even now.

This waistcoat fabric had a one way design so it was impossible to have mirror imaged fronts. It had a very prominent branch design in one area that I didn't want to accentuate, so I laid it out with the designer and we chose to have that area under the trim at the centre front, and it reappears under the arm area. I cut it so that if the trim were removed, the overall design of the fabric is not interrupted when the CF is closed. This meant that I had to carefully plan the layout and I managed to squeak it out of the only piece of fabric that we had. As it was, I had to piece one of the pocket flaps to have enough, and I snuck a seam in the centre back of the collar in order to get some of the pink flowers to be more in a more pleasing position.

The back is a piece of rose moire we found in stock and I just had enough to make the ties out of the self fabric.

This is one of the quick changes, so the waistcoat actually closes with snaps CF and the buttons sewn just to the edge for decoration.

All in all, I'm really pleased with it.

As a postscript, I am heading out on vacation and I'll try to prepare something different for you to see while I am gone. A different angle on being a tailor in the theatre and the interesting projects that we sometimes get to make. You'll never guess what it is..............