Scherensammler
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Alright, as promised, a glimpse at what goes into a first fitting of a bespoke jacket. In this case it is a single breasted button 2 jacket.
The cloth is a lovely solid one from Bateman-Ogden:
Since it's a stripe (actually it are three very small stripes, making it look like one), it needs a bit extra attention. Once it has been steam pressed off (not really necessary with modern cloths, so it is more a safety measure) and cooled off, the pattern is layed out in the most economic way but still allowing sufficient inlays for side seams and vents. The parts are cut out each as a single layer first. Then the layers are put on top of each other to make the stripes (or checks) match perfectly!
Once all the parts have been cut out all important lines and features are marked in using a white basting thread. The fronts are then placed on the body canvas (we use a light weight Italian canvas. It is pre-shrunk, so there are no nasty surprises later on. The canvas has the same size as the fronts at the top, but is a bit narrower below the chest line. Waist line and bridle are transferred. Same with the dart, which is cut slightly bigger than the one in the cloth. This creates extra fullness in the chest.
The next bit to cut is the chest canvas. We use a very lightweight Italian horsehair canvas, that goes from the shoulder to slightly above the waist line.
At the top of the shoulder both canvasses get short cuts that are kept open by sewing in a triangular piece of the same material.
Next step is to baste the parts for the "floating" canvas fronts together. We use an extra piece of bias canvas to support the shoulder. To cover the edges of the horsehair and prevent from hairs coming out and cause bother it is covered with a fine felt:
What follows next is connecting all layers through so called pad stitches. This can be done in several ways and each tailor has its own. My/ our version is to have smaller stitches in the shoulder area and bigger ones in the chest area. It will eventually look like this. However you do this, it is important that there is extra room for the shoulder bone.
Next is to cut out the front dart according to the chalk marks. These are only on one of the canvas fronts, so they are placed on top of each other. The darts are then closed again using a straight strip of lining.
This is what the finished canvas front looks like. As you may have noticed, it is one solid piece. Quite a few tailors have a cut at the bottom of the dart towards the side. The downside of that is that this type of canvas is rather unstable in the sense that it no longer supports the lower part of the cloth front.
As you can see we use a separate front panel and what is called a Donlon wedge to create a shortness in the front part without using ironwork. It is the triangular bit at the bottom of the dart that is cut out before the dart is sewn.
Whenever possible, depending on the size of the pattern (in this case the distance between the stripes) I cut and sew the dart and get the original distance back. To get a flat top area of the dart a small strip of the same cloth (cut on the bias) is sewn in along with the dart and then pressed over.
Please note the exceptional precision that Germans are known for...
Once the fronts are ready the side panel is attached. Instead of a seam it could have just as well been a dart only. However, a separate side panel allows for more options depending on the figure of a customer. YMMV!
Before:
After:
After this the cloth and the "floating" canvas are married together. Again, this can be done in various ways. When working with a patterned cloth it is important to keep the lines running straight, down and across. To give extra fullness and keep the lapel sit flat on the chest a straight strip of fine cotton pocketing is basted onto the inside of the fronts. It is basted on with a slight shortness. It is pressed over and then covers the edge of the horsehair canvas.
The inlay at the front edge is turned in, stitched down and pressed flat.
Details:
Shoulders and armhole are then marked in again (using the original pattern) and marked in using basting thread. To secure the edges of the armhole we put in a backstitch.
The back neck is secured with a piece of cotton pocketing to prevent stretching later on. The cotton is stitched in place (you'll see that later on).
Then the back is basted on to the sides, making sure that the mark stitches align. This is the final sight with the vents and the hem basted in place.
Next job is to baste the shoulders together, put the shoulder pads in and baste on the collar.
Finally the sleeves are prepared.
The front of the top sleeve is a bit shorter compared to the under sleeve and needs to be stretched:
Both sleeve parts are sewn together at the fronts and the seams opened. The front of the top sleeve is further shrunk like this:
Once the hind arm seams are basted the sleeve length gets measured and marked, first with chalk and then a bit more permanent with a thread.
The finished hem of the sleeve:
Last thing left to do know is basting in the sleeves (important to make the mark stitches match in certain places to get the correct pitch) and secure the armholes.
The cloth is a lovely solid one from Bateman-Ogden:
Since it's a stripe (actually it are three very small stripes, making it look like one), it needs a bit extra attention. Once it has been steam pressed off (not really necessary with modern cloths, so it is more a safety measure) and cooled off, the pattern is layed out in the most economic way but still allowing sufficient inlays for side seams and vents. The parts are cut out each as a single layer first. Then the layers are put on top of each other to make the stripes (or checks) match perfectly!
Once all the parts have been cut out all important lines and features are marked in using a white basting thread. The fronts are then placed on the body canvas (we use a light weight Italian canvas. It is pre-shrunk, so there are no nasty surprises later on. The canvas has the same size as the fronts at the top, but is a bit narrower below the chest line. Waist line and bridle are transferred. Same with the dart, which is cut slightly bigger than the one in the cloth. This creates extra fullness in the chest.
The next bit to cut is the chest canvas. We use a very lightweight Italian horsehair canvas, that goes from the shoulder to slightly above the waist line.
At the top of the shoulder both canvasses get short cuts that are kept open by sewing in a triangular piece of the same material.
Next step is to baste the parts for the "floating" canvas fronts together. We use an extra piece of bias canvas to support the shoulder. To cover the edges of the horsehair and prevent from hairs coming out and cause bother it is covered with a fine felt:
What follows next is connecting all layers through so called pad stitches. This can be done in several ways and each tailor has its own. My/ our version is to have smaller stitches in the shoulder area and bigger ones in the chest area. It will eventually look like this. However you do this, it is important that there is extra room for the shoulder bone.
Next is to cut out the front dart according to the chalk marks. These are only on one of the canvas fronts, so they are placed on top of each other. The darts are then closed again using a straight strip of lining.
This is what the finished canvas front looks like. As you may have noticed, it is one solid piece. Quite a few tailors have a cut at the bottom of the dart towards the side. The downside of that is that this type of canvas is rather unstable in the sense that it no longer supports the lower part of the cloth front.
As you can see we use a separate front panel and what is called a Donlon wedge to create a shortness in the front part without using ironwork. It is the triangular bit at the bottom of the dart that is cut out before the dart is sewn.
Whenever possible, depending on the size of the pattern (in this case the distance between the stripes) I cut and sew the dart and get the original distance back. To get a flat top area of the dart a small strip of the same cloth (cut on the bias) is sewn in along with the dart and then pressed over.
Please note the exceptional precision that Germans are known for...
Once the fronts are ready the side panel is attached. Instead of a seam it could have just as well been a dart only. However, a separate side panel allows for more options depending on the figure of a customer. YMMV!
Before:
After:
After this the cloth and the "floating" canvas are married together. Again, this can be done in various ways. When working with a patterned cloth it is important to keep the lines running straight, down and across. To give extra fullness and keep the lapel sit flat on the chest a straight strip of fine cotton pocketing is basted onto the inside of the fronts. It is basted on with a slight shortness. It is pressed over and then covers the edge of the horsehair canvas.
The inlay at the front edge is turned in, stitched down and pressed flat.
Details:
Shoulders and armhole are then marked in again (using the original pattern) and marked in using basting thread. To secure the edges of the armhole we put in a backstitch.
The back neck is secured with a piece of cotton pocketing to prevent stretching later on. The cotton is stitched in place (you'll see that later on).
Then the back is basted on to the sides, making sure that the mark stitches align. This is the final sight with the vents and the hem basted in place.
Next job is to baste the shoulders together, put the shoulder pads in and baste on the collar.
Finally the sleeves are prepared.
The front of the top sleeve is a bit shorter compared to the under sleeve and needs to be stretched:
Both sleeve parts are sewn together at the fronts and the seams opened. The front of the top sleeve is further shrunk like this:
Once the hind arm seams are basted the sleeve length gets measured and marked, first with chalk and then a bit more permanent with a thread.
The finished hem of the sleeve:
Last thing left to do know is basting in the sleeves (important to make the mark stitches match in certain places to get the correct pitch) and secure the armholes.
