Fabric and Patterns

The authentic Harris Tweed brown herringbone fabric was purchased directly from the weaver Products – Little Shop Of Handwoven Tweed in Scotland, and came with labels of authenticity. It is 30 inches wide, at 23.00 British Sterling, plus shipping at 19.35. I ordered 5 meters. My Canadian bank charged my credit card $238. There are no import duties on fabric, and I was not charged tax. It arrived in 8 days. This family-owned business also has their own brand Products – Amor Weavers that has a larger selection of tweeds in solids, checks, herringbones and tartans. I purchased tweed in Sapphire Blue, Conifer Green and Maple Red for future projects. (Update Dec. 2022: It appears that Amor Weavers no longer sells Harris Tweed, just their own brand, which is just as good, in my opinion.) The patterns I used for a starting draft were Butterick 3259 from 2001 (which I have made before) and Vogue 7908 from 2004 which I have not made, but liked the look of the collar and lapel. Modifications were made to both patterns. I pre-shrunk the fabric by serging the ends and placing it in the dryer on medium with 2 large towels soaked in hot water and spun out briefly in the washing machine. I had previously used this method on a wool flannel remnant found at a thrift store with good results and no damage to the fabric, so I was confident that this expensive fabric would be OK. After half an hour in the dryer, it shrank 1 inch in width and about 4 inches in length. There was no further shrinkage from steam pressing, and the wool was not wrinkled, so I may skip this step in the future. Both sides look the same to me, but I marked one side as "right" and noted the direction of the nap. The pattern will be cut single layer.

Leather Buttons

The braided leather buttons came from Cleaner's Supply (cleanersupply.ca) I purchased 3/4 inch buttons (30L) for the front ($5.50 per dozen) and 5/8 inch (24L) for the sleeves ($4.63 per dozen) in Dark Brown, Antique, Natural, Black and Navy. At this price, I stocked up for future jackets. Sometimes Cleaner's Supply ships from New York, but usually my orders come from their Ontario Warehouse. I have never seen leather buttons in the fabric stores near me, but I'm sure they would be much more expensive. The US website is wawak.com.

Tailoring Supplies

From Cleaner's Supply - Fusible Knit Weft Interfacing, Tricot Knit interfacing (also 1 inch wide on a roll), Sew-in Needle Punched Fleece to make shoulder pads, a set of purchased shoulder pads (that won't be used for this jacket), Sleeve Heads (I may use self-fabric), thread for construction and buttonholes, Embroidery thread (from WalMart) for tailor's tacks and other markings. It is thick enough to stay put in the fabric, unlike regular thread that may fall out. My favorite in this group - a 3 yard remnant of bemberg lining in the color I needed from the thrift store at $6.99. The back may get a muslin shoulder/armhole reinforcement instead of fusible. The shoulder seam will be stayed with cloth tape - not fusible as I find that can still stretch and I want this jacket to maintain it's shape. Absent from photo - a thrift store remnant of brown cotton/polyester to use for pocketing, similar to a percale cotton/polyester sheet.

The Patterns

Going by my upper bust (high chest) measurement, I started with a size 12 and made adjustments from there:
Redrafted the front to a shoulder princess line
Raised the first button and roll line to bust level and re-shaped the lapel
Full bust adjustment
Forward shoulder adjustment (also on sleeve cap)
Slightly scooped in (scant 1/4 inch) front armscye
Scooped in 1/4 inch back left armscye during fitting
My left shoulder is 1/4 lower than the right - will use higher shoulder pad
Enlarged for waist and hips
Added center back seam for more shaping options
1 inch seam allowances on sides and center back, 3/8 at neck and lapel, 1/2 inch on sleeve cap and armscye, 5/8 everywhere else
Lengthened to hip level, even with the bottom of the sleeve

Sleeve, Collar and Facing

Enlarged sleeve width at bicep to allow 3 inches of ease
1/2 inch forward shoulder
Lengthened sleeve about 1 inch
Added sleeve vents
Re-drafted facing to shape lapel into curved line, but keep the herringbone stripe at the edge (more on that later)
Slightly adjusted collar from V 7908 to fit with new neckline and lapel
I also drafted lining patterns - more on that later when it comes time to line the sleeves.

Shoulder Pad Pattern

Custom shoulder pads are easy to make. Overlap front, side front, back and side back patterns at the shoulder seam. Overlay pattern paper and draw in the desired shoulder pad shape. My shoulder pad extends about 4.5 inches in the front and 6 inches in the back. I made these from needle punched fleece, but have also used cotton batting, and noted on the pattern how many layers were required for 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch. etc. Measure the height after compressing with a steam iron. Each layer is slightly smaller. Cover the pads, top and bottom, with muslin or hair canvas, if desired, using the largest pattern piece. Stab stitch all layers together, curving the pad as you stitch, to build in some shape to the pad.

Muslin with Balance Lines

Muslin from an old thick cotton sheet. Grainlines, balance lines, waistline, etc. were marked. I fill this out a bit more than my dressform, and the sleeves hang properly on me (my dressform does not have forward shoulders). I needed to take a half inch tuck to bring up the pattern waist to meet my waistline. I wore an elastic under the muslin so I could feel where my waist was. The collar was cut from denim as a heavier weight was needed to judge the fit and shape. Seam allowances were trimmed off and it was basted to the neckline seam. I will shorten the collar just a bit as I want the collar notch right at the base of my neck, and angle it up just a bit. Not a bad fit overall, and I feel safe to start cutting my expensive fabric, leaving the wide seam allowances, as some minor tweaks might be needed in the heavier wool.

Marking a Hem by Yourself

Of course, you can't twist while marking, or the hem will not be level, especially in the back. My husband helped by marking in pink marker with a yardstick from the floor (pink dots). Then, I had the idea to have the marker stay still while I slowly turned around. The marker is secured in a spiral bound notebook and placed between books on the table at the correct height. Place a very heavy book on top so the marker will not move. Slowly back into the marker and turn just a bit to leave a mark, then repeat around the entire hem. Do not twist back and forth or the marks will be slightly off (like on the left in the picture). I got better at moving just a little bit by the time I got to the front. This was the last step in the muslin. Make any needed corrections above the waist first. This was done with a washable marker on a muslin. For a "real" garment, you may want to mark it inside out, or mark the bottom of the hem allowance, and not the actual hemline. Or, find something else to mark with that can be brushed or washed off - soap, tailor's chalk, regular chalkboard chalk (sharpened to a point), white charcoal art pencil, etc.

Facing Pattern - Test Sample

Now that the main pieces are cut, the testing can begin. I wanted the edge of the lapel to have a full stripe of herringbone, but I drafted the pattern edge to be slightly curved since I think that just looks nicer than a straight edge. The pattern was slashed up to the seamline and spread until the edge was straight, resulting in about 1 inch extra fabric on the seamline where the facing joins to the lining. Since this wool is not tightly woven, I thought this could be eased in. I know the fabric will be on the bias from the roll line down, but this does not concern me. Actually, the whole facing is on the bias. This is the inside of the facing that no one will see and the interfacing will stabilize it. The edge will also be stitched to the lining that is cut on the straight grain, which will also stabilize it. The interfacing will be cut with the grainline parallel to the roll line.

To the Ironing Board for Shaping

Here we are on the ironing board with the curve on the edge like I want the lapel to look. The fabric to be eased is pinched up on the seamline. Interfacing will not be applied until the facing is shaped.

Running Stitches to Help with Easing

I first tried to ease in the extra fabric with just my fingers and steam pressing, but that was not working very well. I then put in 4 lines of running stitches by hand and eased the fabric to the middle, similar to easing in a sleeve cap. After steaming and pressing for less than a minute, the job was done. One inch eased in nice and flat. Let the fabric cool thoroughly before moving.

Compare with Pattern

Here is the pattern with the dart pinned out. The sample facing is now the shape I wanted. There is a little bit extra at the left edge from the easing which can be trimmed to be even with the pattern. Once the real facing is cut and shaped, a knit tricot interfacing will be fused, locking in the shape.

Testing Buttonholes

Today was buttonhole testing day and turned out to be quite frustrating. There is my old dependable bound buttonhole at the top which I used extensively on jackets for work. None of my machines like to make buttonholes on thick fabric with thick seam allowances. I did manage one good, corded buttonhole (though not quite keyhole shaped), then the groaning and freezing began - the machines, not me. But then I groaned a bit, too, as I knew this was not going to end well. Hand worked buttonholes did not work well for this fabric, either. I don't have any real gimp, tried to improvise with machine buttonhole thread, but I gave up halfway through. The fabric is not woven tightly enough and my thread is too thin. Also, this thread looks too dark to me, but it's all I had on hand today.

More Testing

I then had the idea to make two buttonholes and sew them together. On thick fabrics my bound buttonholes are finished on the back by making a machine buttonhole on the facing and stitching the two together. Why not two regular buttonholes? I interfaced and seamed the test "front" and "facing", pushed both seam allowances towards me, away from the presser foot, and made a successful corded buttonhole. Not quite keyhole shaped, though that is what the machine says it is. No groaning from me or the machine. I poked a threaded needle through the keyhole end to the facing to mark the placement. Pull this thread out right before stitching or it will get caught in the buttonhole. Insert the needle by turning the handwheel, raise the presser foot, pull out the thread, lower the presser foot and continue stitching. Do not understitch the seam at this time or you will not be able to push the seam allowances away.

Facing Buttonholes

Buttonholes were then stitched with regular thread on the facing, again pushing the seam allowances away from the presser foot. Machine still working smoothly. Each buttonhole was cut open separately. Now is the time to understitch the facing if desired. Save topstitching for the end, just before the buttons are sewed on. These buttonholes are not spaced properly, but it's just a sample, so I did not mark placement from the edge or in between.

Two Buttonholes Become One

My open toe foot came in handy while stitching the two buttonholes together along the outer edge. The thick tweed hides the stitches well. This could also be done by hand, but even with my bound buttonholes, I just stitch in the seamline of the welts.

Finished Buttonholes - Front

Here is the front now stitched to the facing. The stitching is slightly off on the middle one. I was tired and frustrated and don't usually sew late in the day when this idea struck. I got better at stitching very close to the edge by the last one.

Facing Buttonholes

Buttonholes on the facing. You can see the stitches from the front here. I now have to choose between the bound buttonholes or machine worked, now that I know they can be made on my machine. Decisions, decisions......

Cutting Interfacing

Smaller pieces like the collar and pocket flaps were cut after the fabric was interfaced, but I cut the body of the jacket first, then the interfacing. I like to cut the interfacing by placing the pattern under it and cutting just inside the cutting line. This eliminates the need to trim off a bit of interfacing from each edge before fusing. This is demonstrated here with the upper back interfacing which I cut on the bias. This also eliminates the need to make a separate pattern piece just for the interfacing if only a portion of the garment piece will be fused. The front and side front were fully fused, but the back and side back only have the upper portion and hem allowances interfaced. The sleeves only have the hem and vents fused.

Tailor Tacks

After interfacing is applied, I marked each piece with tailor's tacks and thread tracing, as this is the only way to mark this tweed fabric. It takes a bit longer, but the markings can be seen from both sides. Both pieces can be marked at the same time by leaving 2 inch thread tails, lifting the fabric and snipping the thread in between the layers. Do this after fusing interfacing, not before, or the thread will get trapped between the fabric and interfacing. I thought I would use embroidery thread, but then found this cotton crochet thread in the same aisle at Walmart and used that instead. It is thick enough not to fall out. The needle can be threaded more easily by biting a bit with your front teeth at the end of the thread to flatten it out.

Taping the Roll Line

The fronts have been fused with weft insertion interfacing with an additional upper chest piece cut on the bias. I taped the roll line the old fashioned way by hand. It really doesn't take that long, and gives a better result in my opinion. I don't have any real straight grain tape, so cut some 3/8 inch strips from tightly woven, thin fabric with no stretch (an old poly/cotton sheet). The tape is held short by about 3/8 inch and pinned in place, then running stitches were placed down the middle, and stitched on either side. The fullness worked itself out during the stitching. This has not been pressed yet, but the ripples have disappeared.
The lapels will now hug the body nicely. Speaking of pressing, I still need to stay the neck edge with a strip of fusible tape before this piece gets handled any more.

Front Buttonholes

The lapels were steamed over a folded towel and left overnight to set. Since I had made a muslin, I knew where I wanted the buttonholes and felt safe to make them now while the front was unattached. The backing buttonholes on the facing will be stitched after the facing is attached so they can be marked accurately, then the two stitched together. I dipped a toothpick into some Fray Check and dabbed it into the fabric between the stitched lines. This will dry thoroughly before cutting.

Slanted Welt Pockets

The pocket placement is thread traced on the side front at the center and half an inch above and below. I'm going to try to use a one inch welt rather than half an inch to give myself more seam allowance to work with to attach the pocket flap and bags. The welts are folded, stitched along the fold at 1/4 inch, and trimmed to 1 inch wide. The pocket bag has a fabric section at the top for about 2 inches, which is not really necessary with a flap that covers the opening, but I included it anyway. Note for future - this fabric patch ended up being too bulky in this fabric and I partially opened the pocket back up to remove it. Everything was thoroughly steam pressed and flattened with the clapper as much as possible. I cut the interfacing on the bias for the side front piece. This is the direction the welts will be placed and stitched, so no further interfacing was used. If I was stitching in a different direction, I would have fused a patch of interfacing on the welt area to stabilize it.

Pressing Tools

Pressing bulky fabrics takes extra work. I press on a wooden cutting board, use lots of steam, and sometimes a pressing cloth sprayed with water. After pressing, hold the clapper down firmly for 5-10 seconds. Repeat as needed. I wanted the welts as thin as possible, so they got pressed and clapped repeatedly on both sides. This Harris tweed can take a beating without showing any damage. You may want to cover the cutting board with a thin piece of muslin or similar fabric to prevent any finish used on the wood transferring, staining or snagging your fabric. This cutting board is so old and worn that I use it uncovered.

Stitching the Upper Welt

Place the upper welt folded edge along the thread traced line, right sides together, and stitch 1/4 inch from the edge, starting and stopping exactly at the marked lines. That's the easy part

Log In

Back

Gallery

download

share

Next Gallery