tailoring : interior coat construction

 

What's all that ugly stitching covering the front?

The first few (yes, few) steps of this thing are completed.  So far the canvas has been applied to the front and back, the taping has been done, the seams are sewn, bias edges are stay-stitched for reinforcement, and the shoulder pads have been put in.  The white stitching you see will be removed only when the whole thing is completely finished - basting stitches are used to keep all pieces together and flat, but also to make sure the wool never "droops" and maintains exactly the shape into which it has been manipulated.

 So what exactly am I looking at here, Rachel?

Here is the interior construction of the coat.  Here you can see the goat hair canvas, used for structuring the jacket at pivotal places - mainly the center front, shoulders, and center back neckline.  This creates a strong fit so the coat will not "collapse".  You will also see a white tape along the edges - traditionally used for taping lapel edges (so that the edges are crisp once turned), here I am using them to keep my lines clean and straight. 

These are the shoulder pads!  They are pad-stitched to the canvas and will eventually (well, all of this will be eventually) enclosed within the lining so it is never seen.  The beauty of tailoring is such a hidden art. 

 Close-up of the taping, canvas, and basting stitches on the front of the coat.

But I know what you really came for.  Due to ... interesting shipping situations (i.e. letting my responsible-for-my-future-and-general-well-being-for-the-next-three-weeks crystals sit in a warehouse for 7 days before actually being shipped) the waistband is still only halfway done.  But here, somewhat folded in half so you can better visualize what it will eventually look like, is what it will eventually look like, just not as good as it will actually eventually look like. 

The tricky thing about tailoring is because you don't remove those basting stitches til the end, it is very hard to accurately visualize how nice things will be once they are finished.  But those ugly white stitches are always in the way!  I know.

 At left, where I have yet to pick up again.  

And for now, there you have it!  More updates to come soon as my pant/lining fabric arrives (as well as the crystals, which should be here tomorrow).  I'm pretty much at a stand-still for the moment until the beading is done.  

Can you guess what I'll be doing for the next few days?