Tv499 – 1890s Vest pattern has some tricky parts to it. Mostly about attaching the collar. Here are a couple things to know that should help you sort it all out.
- The Collar Lining and the Single Front (or Double Lap when sewn to Double Front) should have the exact same neckline edge. The center front edges should match up, and the shoulder end of the Collar Lining should match the shoulder edge of the Front.
- The Collar should also have the same exact neckline, the only difference is the added back neck extension, and 1/8″ added at the neck line edge to assist with the turn. At right, is the collar when laid flat, showing the rumple of the extra 1/8″ of width in the collar over the collar lining.
- The Collar back neck extension will need to be cut to the size of the Back. If the back size is different from the front size, you will need to adjust the collar pattern at the center back seam. There is a fitting guide in the pattern, and directions for using the guide, in the fitting section of the pattern instructions. This adjustment should not be used to compensate the length of the collar for bias stretch of the various pieces, or for alterations made to the Front.
- If you make any fitting adjustments to the Front, you will need to duplicate that adjustment to all the collar pieces. The easiest way to do that is to place the collar pieces over the front and make the adjustments to all the pieces at the same time.
- The Fronts and the Collars are cut on different grain lines. This means the each of the pieces will stretch on the bias differently. The Fronts will most likely stretch more than the Collars. The benefit is that once the layers are sewn together, they will counter act the stretch in the other pieces and keep the neckline snug and reduce gaping. The fix for bias stretch is to ease the stretched areas to fit back to the correct shape.
The video is taken of the first pattern trial, so the pieces and construction are not exactly the same as the final pattern came out. But the general idea of how the collar fits to the body is the same.
The collar shown does not have the extra ease added over the collar lining, so it does not show the rumple that should be there.
Also, the collar lining in the video is not cut shorter to match the front. I have drawn a line to mark where the collar lining would end as given in the released pattern.
The shoulder seams are wrong side out, so that part will look different, as well.
Hopefully this will help clarify some of the more challenging parts of this pattern.