November – December 2006
I’d been looking for the right vest fabric for ages. When I finally found this wool flannel, I knew the plaid would be met with approval. There was just barely enough time to make a new gentleman’s holiday vest. Laughing Moon’s “View B” vest provided the pattern, and I also tried out their “California Pants” pattern in a light wool gabardine.
For this vest I wanted a softer look than my first attempt (the silver paisley vest). I figured since it would be less formal, it should also be more comfortable. The wool is quite heavy: probably not the smartest choice for an attempt at bias-cut tailoring, but I couldn’t resist. I also had to pick and choose where to match the plaid as the fabric was not 100% cooperative.
After some deliberation, I ended up backing the vest with a layer of fusible weft interfacing, then underlining it with some extremely lightweight taffeta. (The underlining could have been organza, but this was in the stash). The vest lining is black cotton batiste. Only time will tell whether this was sufficient to keep the vest from stretching out of shape. In the meantime, I’ll continue looking for that perfect, elusive, plaid silk taffeta.
