Waist not.....
It almost wasn't made: the fabric is a fine checked wool and I thought, wool - I'll never get my wear out of that at this time of year! Ha! Mother Nature had other things in mind and has insisted on keeping winter around for a lot longer than usual. So I stuck to the original plan and made another pair of trousers for Kate and her SWAP '13. The fabric came from Maggie's Fab Fabrics and was an end of roll - about 2.2m. When it's gone, it's gone. It has a navy/cream/beige/white check - perfect for my Hepburn colours and navy always looks well in early spring-time.
The trousers are exactly the same as the first suit so with no alterations and a TNT pattern, I can sew these blindfolded now. But with the little bit of left over fabric I made a matching waistcoat. It was one of those times when there's too much left to throw out but not really enough to keep. As there was no more fabric where this came from I endeavoured to make good use of the remnant.
McCalls M5887 and was purchased as part of their 99c OOP pattern sale around about Christmas 2012 - I certainly have had my money's worth from that little stash.
All the waistcoats in this pattern are lined and fitted apart from E. I made view A but didn't have enough fabric for the whole waistcoat - so the back is completed in the same lining as the trousers. I also added a self tie at the back partly to co-ordinate with the trousers and the front and partly to create a bit more shape. Sometimes waistcoats can go 'boxy' and I need a waist. View A is also quite short but the high waist on the trousers compensates well and the two meet in the middle. This waistcoat with anything lower might look like it's too small.
All the waistcoats in this pattern are lined and fitted apart from E. I made view A but didn't have enough fabric for the whole waistcoat - so the back is completed in the same lining as the trousers. I also added a self tie at the back partly to co-ordinate with the trousers and the front and partly to create a bit more shape. Sometimes waistcoats can go 'boxy' and I need a waist. View A is also quite short but the high waist on the trousers compensates well and the two meet in the middle. This waistcoat with anything lower might look like it's too small.
The buttons were salvaged from some old RTW - three for the trousers and three for the waistcoat and when they are neatly lined up there's a nice straight line of buttons.
The main benefits of SWAP is you don't have to change the thread in your machine and the other is the mixing and matching that can be done afterwards.
There's just something about a waistcoat.........
