Hello to anyone who might be lurking around, waiting for a blog post from me. It’s been ages… I had two in the pipeline over the summer but didn’t have photos, so they’re still in my drafts! This post should have gone up yesterday and been a Work in Progress Wednesday post but, as I’ve become less used to blogging and what needs to be done, I forgot to take adequate photos of the process…. Anyhow, I have something, which is always better than nothing!!
The waistcoat I’m making is a Burda pattern from the 90s, one I made for myself when I was in my 20s – Burda 2889 for those who might be interested in tracking it down. Over the summer, daughter no 1 requested a waistcoat to wear as a top, rather than over a tee or shirt. I made her a black cotton twill version and an off white one in linen. I don’t have photos of them on her, but have been assured that they fit fine and have been worn.
Roll on to Autumn and daughter no 2 would like waistcoats to wear over shirts – preferably shirts with some sort of interesting (big) sleeve. And yes, I’ll be making those too… So I toiled the size 10 in the same pattern and she likes it. I like it because I didn’t need to make any adjustments! I had some leftover pieces of wool in the stash from other projects, so we decided to use these instead of buying more fabric. Thankfully the linings have also come from the stash, so that’s made these waistcoats very economical!
Version one is using a windowpane wool I used for my Assembly Line V-Neck Dress. The left over pieces were akward shapes and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to patternmatch anywhere, which almost prompted me to cut some panels on the bias, just to be obviously different! But there wasn’t space for that either. In the end, the front and back pieces match, but I couldn’t get the side seams on the right lines. It’s disappointing, but I hope it won’t be too obvious.
The pattern as it comes doesn’t have facings and seperate linng pieces, you cut double fronts and the rest all in lining, but the lining is a very different shade and I didn’t want any of that to roll out and stick up over the edges. So I traced the pieces and made facings and linings, only just having enough of the wool to cut them all out. It sewed up well and I’m pleased with it, even the faux welt pockets. I’ll be leaving these off the next version because the wool I’ll be using is thicker and it’ll just be bulky.
I’ve hand sewn the remaining lining side seam and actually managed to find buttons in the stash (that’s a miracle in itself!). I had hoped to use some bronze or brass metal buttons but, as luck would have it, I didn’t have any of a suitable size and number. I found something in the brown buttons section in the stash that will do the job just fine. I want to get it all done today so I can start on the next one, and then a pair of Lander Pants for the same daughter is on the list. I also have a Paper Theory Olya shirt for myself cut and ready to go – but first, waistcoats and Landers! And I will nag and nag and nag for photos on a person so I can show you want the waistcoats look like on a human!
In the mean time, I have to keep my sewing stuff under supervision these days, since we acquired a British Shorthair kitten at the beginning of Septermber. She is at once cute, cuddly and a little terrorist!
THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS 
Great work. Can’t wait to see it on a real person. I have made Burda waistcoats from 1994 and 2021. They look a little different. Love your cat. My sewing helper is a Scottish Fold.