Tartan waistcoats - how are they usually made?

[Pleater]

It is unusually cold here in the UK and I picked up a piece of fabric and a pattern intending to make a lined waistcoat - and now I am not sure how to proceed with laying out the pieces.

It is just a bit of Black Watch, quite a small sett size,

I was thinking of having the fronts cut on the bias - but there isn't enough material to do the same for the back - it takes a lot of fabric to match the fronts where I'd like to have the stripes.

I will just about be able to make the back on the straight grain - I could also make it out of a bit of toning material on the bias, or two layers of the lining material but I was intending to wear it as an outer garment not under a jacket, so I'd like to get it all out of the same fabric - but should it all be cut on the bias?

The other option is to cut it all on the square - but it won't look as flash.

If you have a waistcoat with bias fronts - how is the back of it done?

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Father Bill]

None of my waistcoats have matching fronts and backs - the backs are almost always silk or some other light material, probably because they're usually worn with a jacket which makes my spine quite warm enough (thank you very kindly!)

That would perhaps leave you enough to cut the front on the bias which means that the waistcoat would also "mould" itself to me a little more kindly which is useful since the waistcoat is normally worn as a fairly form fitting garment.

I like mine that way, and I often wear a waistcoat because I like them!

[Andrew Breecher]

I don't know of too many waistcoats which are made with self fabric backs. My gut feeling would be to make the back bias as well, but would it be possible to cobble something together with a photo editing program to see how it might look?

You may not have enough cloth to do this, but it might be interesting to have a false yoke for half the back on the bias, and then below that on the straight, similar to some plaid shirts.

Since the tartan is Black Watch you may not do too badly with a solid black or green back to match.

While searching for examples of a self-fabric back waistcoat, I found this link, which is an interesting switch with a plain front and tartan back: http://maximumsnooker.com/Snooker_Competition/

[Pleater]

The patterns I have is lined, with darts for the shaping, though I might be able to mould the bias cut fronts to reduce the need for darts, or place them where they are not so obvious in order to preserve the integrity of the tartan.
The pattern is from way back - when it was quite usual for men to wear shirt and waistcoat without jackets - the folk singers I knew all wanted waistcoats with pockets so they could keep their plectra and finger picks handy. I made the waistcoats on the straight of the fabric as I had not even heard of bias cutting back then.

I also note that the original pattern is a size 38inch chest - that really dates it.

I think that I might go with the tartan back on the straight, but only if I can centre the pattern nicely on the sett - it is in two pieces so I might be able to mirror image it - plus I can save a bit of fabric by shortening it and making the fronts curved, bolero style rather than having the male type triangles under the pockets. Otherwise a toning material cut on the bias.

I have these old patterns as I always trace them, then cut them about and alter the copies so as to be unrecognisable - more sticky tape than tissue paper.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Father Bill]

Pockets - absolutely! Good luck with making the cloth at the edge match the rest!

[Alan H]

If you dig around a bit in the DIY forum, you might find an old thread from sydnie7 about making a tartan waistcoat for her lad, Bob. This was several years ago, but she did quite the smashing job of matching the setts and so on.

[IsaacW]

I like the look of bias cut, but here is a nice square cut ca. 1910...

[frank_a]

I, on the other hand, much prefer my waistcoat to be material (not lining or some other cheap fabric) front and back. That is so, #1, I can take off my jacket if I want, and not look half dressed, and two, I can go out with just the waistcoat on and again, not look half dressed. For the life of me, I don't know why folks making waistcoats skimp on back material!

I just had one made out of a really nice light brown wool with pattern, and expect to have another soon, either deep blue or a wine color. Hmm, maybe both! I should have pics of my new one up here somewhere soon. I just picked it up from my tailor Tuesday afternoon, and plan to wear it to the highland games this weekend.

Frank

[Pleater]

I thought of a cheat for the laying out, even if there isn't enough fabric to do a bias cut back, if I trace the tartan onto the pattern for the back, centred on the right part of the sett, I can then lay the fronts on the top of that, matching up the lines, trace onto them, so when I put them onto the fabric they will intersect correctly.

If I can't make a tartan back I thought about quilting the back onto the lining in imitation of the tartan on the fronts - even if it is cut on the square the impression of diapered fabric would be there - diapered as in diamond patterned, that is.

The original pattern is for a waistcoat which was never intended to be worn with a jacket - the pattern includes a shirt, versions with and without collar.

I have turned out a cupboard recently and found a hoard of fabrics, some are Irish linen, so I might make myself some sarks.... maybe even embroidered ones.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Machaggisnz]

I like the look of bias cut, but here is a nice square cut ca. 1910...

Awesome hose! What a great outfit.