Waistcoat Buttons

I started with the 7/8 inch covered button kit, that you can obtain from most fabric stores and Walmart as well. It worked, but the little embroidered flower was not centered on the button.

After putting it asside for a couple of days, I decided to use smaller buttons, the 3/4 inch buttons. They worked and though not perfect, they were much better. I was just able to get the circled embroidered flower centered on the smaller button.

1780s Waistcoat

Finally, I finished prick stitching the entire waistcoat. Now what remains is for me to sew up the arm holes. Above you see the before and after pictures of the completed garment Iused light cotton for the back of the waistcoat. I only had approximately 1 yard of the light weight upholstery fabric.

Buttons and buttholes remain, plus, I will need to add the ties to the back of waistcoat.

Fabric Stash

My fabric stash keeps growing. I mentioned before that I label all of my fabric when I purchase it. Included are the date, number of yards, width and type of fabric.


Sharing my stash of fabric, this is not going to be pretty. It's funny, but at the time that I purchased each of the pieces, I actually had an idea of what the fabric would be made into. I also know pretty much what I have. The other night, I was looking for a particular piece of fabric and had to go through a large portion of the stash before I found it.


Ideally, I would love to have a proper sewing room, currently, I am using the guest bedroom. When there are guests, I have to put everything up and out of the way, so the room can be used.

There is another smaller room that could be used on the floor above, but it only has one window and really is a bit small. I had thought of using it, it is mostly just a storage room now.

1787 Wasistcoat

The pictures show you the lining, prick stitched inside and outside of the fashion fabric.
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I realized that I forgot to share the pictures of the insides of the waistcoat. I used a mid-weight linen fabric. I tend to use linen when possible for most of my linings. In addition, I prick stitched the edges of the waistcoat, this technique produces a running stitch on the inside and just a little thread dot on the exterior. All of the lining edges will be prick stitched. This will stop the lining from rolling toward the outside. It is a bit time consuming, but it is worth it.

I have to work the buttholes and the buttons down the front of the waist. The challenge will be to get one of the little embroidered circled flowers centered on each of the self fabric buttons. The button kits came from Walmart.

Plus, I have to complete the armscyes. I have not done those yet, since I am using them to enter the garment between lining and exterior to start the prick stitch. In this way, there is no visiable starting point on the outside or inside of the waistcoat for this stitch. The thread is hidden between the layers.

1787 Waistcoat

It is basically done. I still have to add the buttonholes, buttons and prick stitch the edges to keep the lining from rolling out. The challenge is to get those little round flowers centered over those little self fabric buttons that you can pick up from a fabric store or WalMart's.

I think that I have just enough fabric to cover ten to twelve buttons. Oh, I forgot to show you, there is a large vent in the back which I will close with two sets of ties, one set of ties will be 18 inches long and the second set will be 15 inches long. The pattern doesn't mention the ties at all, but it does say plain back and tie back waistcoats were both used during this time.

In top two pictures, you can clearly see the smile pocket. To me they look pretty good. Next time around, I won't make the smile opening quite so large. It was smaller, but I opted to make it a bit bigger since I hadn't made one before.

1780s Waistcoat Pockets

I initially thought that inserting the pockets would prove to be difficult for me, since I have never placed an 18th century smile pocket before. Actually, it has only been in the last year that I have been able to set a pocket, mostly welt, but set never the less.

I took my time and followed the instructions to the letter. I found that it was extremely helpful to hand stitch around the smile through the wrong side of the lining with small stitches. This was done prior to slasing pocket opening. One other thing, at each end of the smile opening, you needed to take a couple of stitches before starting the lower curve of the smile. I believe that this helps when you have to turn the pocket lining to the inside.

I completed one pocket one evening during the week and the second pocket the next night. I am quite pleased with the way they turned out.

I did reduce the size of the pockets, the pattern actually had and 11 inch pocket flap and 9 1/2 pocket smile. I thought that this was way to big after I cut the pattern piece out. Plus, I had altered the original waistcoat to make it a better shorter. This shorter version didn't look right to me with an extra large three point point flap. Points were removed and the size scaled down to 9 inches for the pocket flap and six inches for the under pocket smile.

Before cutting the slash . After cutting the slash and pulling the lining through to the wrong side of the fabric.

1780s Waistcoat

I pinned the linen lining to the outer fabric last night. I wanted to start the final assembly of the waistcoat, but I was too tired. I knew that If I did any sewing, there would be mistakes. So, I have learned that when I am tired, for me its best to stop.

This morning, I got up early 6am, walked the dog, had coffee and immediately started to stitch the lining and the outer fabric together.

I don't think that I shared with you what the fashion fabric looks like for the waistcoat. I selected a mid weight upholstery fabric. It was bluish grey with little embroidery pattern of a single dusty rose flower surrounded by a blue circle. It was on the remnant table at the fabric store last year and even than I thought that it reminded me of an 18th century fabric pattern. I did not have any idea what I would do with it. There was only a yard and 1/2. Wait, I believe that I had intentions of using it as the outer fabric for an 18th century corset. But that never materialized.

Anyway here is the fabric.

I really think it is perfect for an 18th century waistcoat. Plus, since I don't know how to embroider, this fabric was a great compromise.

1780s Waistcoat

Above you see the recut pattern pieces basted together.

I placed the mockup over the completed shirt and I like it.

You can see how much off the bottom of the front pattern piece was chopped. It really is important to make a mockup. I really thought that the pattern that I purchased was the best match. However, it was way to long. It was 1770s instead of 1787s.

The illustration to the left is the promenade suit that I am currently working on.

You can see the blue waistcoat is poking out from

under the frock coat and it ends at upper thigh. Back to the pattern I went and cropped about eight inches from the bottom of the front and back pattern pieces. You can see the section that I took off from the upper picture left.

1787s Waistcoat

So, I have started working on the waistcoat. I have completed the pattern layout. Also, I have cut out the pattern pieces as well. I am a little worried about the pockets, we shall see.

It's JP Ryan's waistcoat pattern from the 1770s. I really thought that it was close to the original suit illustration.

I mentioned in a previous post that I no longer cut up the original patterns. Now, I trace a copy of the pattern pieces first. I used the traced pattern pieces for layout and cutting.

18th Century Shirt

Ta Da!, it's finished. I completed it this weekend and I like it. Since these pictures were taken, I have since hemed the shirt.

It may seem that the shirt is a bit long, but doing a little research, it seems that men's shirts during the 18th century were primarily the only undergarment that was worn. The long shirt hitting near or at the knee was tucked up between the legs and under the crotch. Who knew?

The cotton shirting material that I found in my stash was perfect. It has the right weight and feel.

I still have to add buttons to the sleeves and at the neck, but that's not a biggy. In the second picture you can clearly see the shoulder panel. The body of the shirt was cut on a fold, no shoulder seams. The pattern required adding neck gussets and the shoulder panels, it provides more stabillity for the shirt. ........ Yeah me!

I am pleased. But there is so much more to do. Especially, since I have an early October deadline.

18th Century Shirt

As you can see, I am moving along with completing the 18th century shirt. The shirt front frills and the cuff frills are the same material. It really is a blend of some sort, but it works well as a frill.

I simply hemed the edges of the frill before inserting them between the small cuff bands. As with the collar of the shirt, I had to finish it with hand sewing. I like them.

Remember, the 18th century promenade suit that I have started. The shirt was the first item to work on. Next will be the waistcoat, followed by the breeches and last the frock coat.

Plus the accessories, shoes, wig, cane, they all have to be obtained and or modified to fit the suit.

You can jump back to my earlier post to see a picture of the suit that I am making.

Unfortunately, the far left picture is not a very good one of the sleeve prior to attaching the frill.

Caraco Jacket

When I saw the picture of the Blue Caraco Jacket from the Musee Galleria, I imediately thought of some of the fabric that was in my stash.

The top picutre is a light peace color grosgrain frabic which I obtained last year from JoMar fabric store here in Philadelphia. It's date tag says, Nov. 13, 2009. The two middle pictures are of the fabric which I think matches pretty well the blue fabric of the Musee's Caraco. The brocade fabric is much busy with is floral pattern than the original, but my fabric does contain silver background similar to the original as well.

I took the picture of the fabric with the flash on my camera and it came out with only the orange registering in the picture. When I turned off the flash, I was able to get a some what better picture with the silver in the pattern clearly visable.

The bottom fabric, I purchased this summer, June, and it matches the orange tunes of the fabric quite well. I could use either the peach or the more bold orange fabric for the petticoat to go with the floral caraco.

I even have the pattern which I purchased this summer from www.lostcoastpatterns.com

when they were having a summer sale.

Caraco Jacket 1780s

I stumbled across this image while searching the net for fashion images from the 1780s.

It's a 1780s Caraco Jacket and it can be found at the the Musee Galleria in France. They have a collection of 1780s clothes and this image is from one of their displays.

I think that it is absolutely beautiful. It has been added to my "Honey, I got to do this list".

What do you all think?