Saturday, April 22, 2023

Lekala Waistcoat #6063 for Jed


 I have made this waistcoat for Jed before 


He has worn it a lot and looks very snappy, but I felt like the front could be a little longer to cover his belly. 


I altered the pattern, adding two inches to the front pieces but grading back so that the side seam is the same. The whole vest looks so much better on and the pockets look (and work) better with a longer area under them. 

I purchased the wool fabric as a remnant from Lincraft. It was very thick so will be nice and warm but it was a bit scritchy and the ink it was dyed with didn't have the nicest smell.
I washed and air dried it several times and it has improved but is not completely gone.
The welt pockets are functional and I lined them with a scrap of Liberty.
I sew my welts, I used my tried and true video The thick fabric made them a little tricky to construct but at least I didn't have to deal with fraying.

I like to use satin for lining as it sits nicer and is a lot easily to sew than Bemsilk. I didn't have a good match in my stash so I decide to have some fun and use a very bright blue instead.

When I sewed this vest for Hugo (and the previous one I sewed for Jed) I interfaced every piece, even the lining pieces with Sheerweft. This turned out to be a overkill as it made the garment too stiff and any natural give in the fibre was diminished. 

I did use interfacing on the front facings and the vest fronts where the pockets were placed.
The buttons are vintage knotted leather, from deep stash.

On Jed's last waistcoat, I just knotted the ties and this was fine. It caused no discomfort as the knot sat in the small of his back and didn't bother him at all, even sitting in the car.
This time, however, I wanted a more stylish finish so I went with a buckle and then Googled the best way to secure it.

The simple alteration I made to the waistcoat front made it infinitely more wearable and made little change to the construction (I just lengthened the pocket bags accordingly).

I love how happy Jed is when he wears this waistcoat, you can tell he feels really good in it.

Men have body issues just as much as anyone else and a well fitted piece of clothing always maketh the man!



Thank you for reading.... xx Nicole 






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