it will be finished soon, terry!
Published: Sunday, September 23rd 2007
I have a client coming to see me this week for a second fitting with his suit.
The suit he ordered has been on the go for a long time, it's just one of those things.
Clients can't always get to you at a time and place that is convenient for both of you, this is one of these situations.
But, there is light at the end of the tunnel, Terry!
I shall finish your suit asap after the fitting on Thursday.
The first picture shows the jacket lining, which is a traditionl printed paisley lining.
The cloth is from Smith Woolen's, 11/12oz's, at the first meeting with this client, I was asked to make the jacket with quite a lot of construction to the chest.
There is also a DB waistcoat, with shawl lapels to go with this suit, I shall post some pictures when I have downloaded them off my camera.
The next picture shows a close up of the peaked lapel, a tight, sharp point to the peak. You can see the linen bridle extending past the gorge.
The next picture shows a portion of the back, and the side vent. The back is the bit with the chalk line struck across it, and this is marked ready for me to turn it up.
The next picture shows me hand lashing the bottoms of the jacket, I am lashing the back section seen in the last picture.
Hand lashing is used to fix the bottom of the jacket in place.
This has to be done very carefully, and with a fine thread ( not much thicker than a human hair ) to prevent the stitches from showing on the outside of the jacket.
The next picture shows a portion of the vent section where the lining crosses.
The actual seam run of the side seam is to the left of the picture, the diagonal piece has been 'snipped' to lay across the vent, and is basted in position.
The next picture shows the lining basted in place on one of the jacket side vents.
All the linings at the bottom of the jacket will be felled by hand when the jacket is ready to finish.
The next picture shows the vents in position.
I always double check at this point, with the jacket on the tailoring dummy, that the vents are the same length.
It is a pig, a complete pig, to alter the jacket bottom, and the linings, when a jacket is finished for such a simple mistake as odd length vents!
The next picture is looking down one of the side seams. You can see the back to the right, and the jacket fronts are on the left.
As this is quite a close fitting jacket, I am going to shape the side seam a little more.
I am going to shrink a tiny bit of excess cloth I don't like, this will help to get the sideseams to fit nice and clean. You can see the excess cloth to the right of the picture, the small fold.
The next picture shows me working the cloth with the iron. I am on the 'buck' of the vac table, the shape is good for this operation.
I warm the fabric with steam, then work the excess cloth away.
I will then finally use the vaccum to cool the cloth which holds the now shrunk, shaped wool fibres in this cloth in their new position.
The next picture shows the clean side seam. The excess cloth has gone, and the side seam looks correct.
The next picture shows the jacket on the dummy waiting for the sleeves to be basted in.
This jacket is a button two front with 31/2" ( width ) peaked lapels, a good chest and a strong roll to the lapels.
The lapels have been cut with what is probably my only tailoring trade mark, a good belly on the roll.
I shall post more pictures of this suit when I have downloaded them.
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