FABRIC
- Plaid fabric = 1 yard (sizes 34-42), or 1 ½ yard (sizes 44-52)
As of the writing of this tutorial, the original fabric is quite rare and difficult to come by, so you may wish to consider an alternative fabric for your replica waistcoat.
For example, the fabric below is “wrong” is practically every way (instead of a wool plaid, it’s a poly/rayon herringbone), but from a few feet away, the overall subjective “read” is surprisingly similar.
- Black lightweight cotton = 1 yard
If you’ve read my 11th Doctor waistcoat analyses, you may also recall that the “scales” and velvet waistcoats were allegedly lined with a lightweight cotton. Without evidence to the contrary, I suggest lining the “anniversary” waistcoat with a lightweight black cotton.
Side note – strange as it might seem to some today, in his excellent book The Victorian Tailor: An Introduction to Period Tailoring, Jason Maclochlainn did twice mention cotton linings as being common in period waistcoats.
The book offers fascinating insight into period tailoring practices, so if you’re interested, I’d definitely recommend it as both an enjoyable and informative read.
- Lightweight hair canvas = 1 yard
For the waistcoat in this tutorial, I used a SEW-IN lightweight hair canvas, but were I to make another of these waistcoats, I would use a FUSIBLE lightweight hair canvas instead – specifically, one of these:
“Light Weight Stretch Fusible Hymo” (T15-UU) from B. Black and Sons
“Light Weight Deluxe Fusible Hymo 72” (T15-U)” from B. Black and Sons
- Black pocketing = ¼ yard
I recommend either of the following pocketings for this waistcoat:
Black & Sons T41 “Silesia Cotton Pocketing”
Black & Sons T401 “Deluxe Polyester/Cotton Pocketing”
Alternatively, some black lightweight cotton, such as muslin or quilting cotton, should work fine.
ACCESSORIES, NOTIONS, SUPPLIES, etc.
1 spool of black thread
The original plaid fabric used for the “anniversary” waistcoat wasn’t actually purple; it was a woven combination of black, red, and blue threads, so black thread works great with it!
- Cotton basting thread
I use and recommend #40 basting thread, from Wawak Sewing Supplies:
⅜” cotton twill tape
I’ve used and recommend the “Fine Cotton Edge Tape,” again from Wawak Sewing Supplies.
A single spool/roll should last for many, many projects like this!
Six waistcoat buttons
Replica waistcoat buttons are available from “Time and Space Replicas” (aka Daniel Pawlik) on Etsy:
Vest buckle
Daniel Pawlik also currently offers vest buckles like those used on the original waistcoats, again via his Etsy shop:
Otherwise a standard vest buckle will work fine (see right).
Piping/zipper/edging foot
Walking/quilting foot (recommended)
(This technically isn’t a requirement, but it makes some parts of the construction process MUCH easier.)
Pinking shears (recommended)
(Again – technically not a requirement, but I like to cut certain edges and areas with these to minimize impressions being visible on the outside of the waistcoat.)
