Jacket: For the most part, it was relatively easy to make the jacket. The instructions were clear and the fit seemed to follow well. I made adjustments to the pattern as this was to be used for dancing. I extended the shoulders and flattened out the sleeve cap so that the shoulders would remain flat when the gentlemen raised their arms for dance position. I also lengthened the sleeves as I chose to not make the cuffs. I had not thought about how the sleeves would be finished, but I ended up making a facing on the inside to make it a bit prettier than just hand stitching the sleeve closed at the wrist. I could have stitched the sleeves together at the wrist and then attached the sleeve into the armscye, but I thought of that way too late. The most difficult part of this pattern was attaching the lining to the coat around the collar. Out of the six coats, I only had one where the inside corner of the collar came out OK and didn’t require ripping threads out after it was turned and hand stitching closed. I liked the velvet and satin look. To make it more period, we would have needed to allow a bigger pleat in the back and not stitch it down, add more buttons along the sleeve and the back.
Pants: The pants were made by a friend, and because of the dance position, we decided to add an extension to the top of the pants to ensure that their shirts wouldn’t show. The pants again followed the directions well. The front flap took a good deal of thought process, but my friend said that as long as he thought about it carefully, he figured out how it went together and all went smoothly. The crotch seam, however, came out way too low from the pattern, so he made sure to review the measurements we took of the gents and applied the measurement to the pattern for each pair of pants. The flap is a bit odd. The gents may have felt a bit drafty, as the sides of the flap open slightly. There were no pockets. Overall, the pattern came out really well; we are very pleased with the results.
Rated 4 out of 5
Arlyana Kylstram –
For intermediate sewers and above. This is the pattern with Father Christmas and an Early Victorian Gent on the cover. This was my first men’s suit and it was a challenge, but not a stressful one, nor an impossible one. Read the directions through before you sew anything, and if need be, visualize how it’s going to come together. Measure your gent’s arms and the sleeves carefully. I ended up opting for the sleeves without the cuffs, and preferred that look greatly. I also found that a muslin helped with sizing the body of the coat, as my gent has broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The pants are only tricky in the drop-down flap area, but they look great once they’re done.
Deborah Borlase –
Jacket: For the most part, it was relatively easy to make the jacket. The instructions were clear and the fit seemed to follow well. I made adjustments to the pattern as this was to be used for dancing. I extended the shoulders and flattened out the sleeve cap so that the shoulders would remain flat when the gentlemen raised their arms for dance position. I also lengthened the sleeves as I chose to not make the cuffs. I had not thought about how the sleeves would be finished, but I ended up making a facing on the inside to make it a bit prettier than just hand stitching the sleeve closed at the wrist. I could have stitched the sleeves together at the wrist and then attached the sleeve into the armscye, but I thought of that way too late. The most difficult part of this pattern was attaching the lining to the coat around the collar. Out of the six coats, I only had one where the inside corner of the collar came out OK and didn’t require ripping threads out after it was turned and hand stitching closed. I liked the velvet and satin look. To make it more period, we would have needed to allow a bigger pleat in the back and not stitch it down, add more buttons along the sleeve and the back.
Pants: The pants were made by a friend, and because of the dance position, we decided to add an extension to the top of the pants to ensure that their shirts wouldn’t show. The pants again followed the directions well. The front flap took a good deal of thought process, but my friend said that as long as he thought about it carefully, he figured out how it went together and all went smoothly. The crotch seam, however, came out way too low from the pattern, so he made sure to review the measurements we took of the gents and applied the measurement to the pattern for each pair of pants. The flap is a bit odd. The gents may have felt a bit drafty, as the sides of the flap open slightly. There were no pockets. Overall, the pattern came out really well; we are very pleased with the results.
Arlyana Kylstram –
For intermediate sewers and above. This is the pattern with Father Christmas and an Early Victorian Gent on the cover. This was my first men’s suit and it was a challenge, but not a stressful one, nor an impossible one. Read the directions through before you sew anything, and if need be, visualize how it’s going to come together. Measure your gent’s arms and the sleeves carefully. I ended up opting for the sleeves without the cuffs, and preferred that look greatly. I also found that a muslin helped with sizing the body of the coat, as my gent has broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The pants are only tricky in the drop-down flap area, but they look great once they’re done.