Drafting My First Pattern

This was my first time drafting a pattern, and I didn't completely screw it up! I screwed it up some, but not completely. In theory, I know how to draft a pattern from a book using known measurements. Of course, I have to choose to create something that I have never seen a pattern for in my life for my first drafting project.

Backup for a second. Before I could even start creating a pattern, I had to figure out what I was planning to do. This pattern is going to be for a double breasted sleeve waistcoat. Double breasted waistcoats seem to be common enough as seen in military and sporting attires. From a pure review of extant garments and original images the sleeved variety seemed less common. But then again, who knows what's going on under a frock coat sleeve.

From looking at images and extant garments, I noticed two prevailing styles of double-breasted waistcoats. In both styles the waistcoat starts as single breasted and then transitions to double breasted around the waistline. The first involves an angled flap that starts close to the center closure and gradually widens to the center shoulder at the top of the flap. In the second style, the flap dramatically comes out from the closure and forms a nearly vertical flap from the waistline to the shoulder. Both styles can be seen in my drawing and are highlighted in the these portraits and engravings.

I elected to create my pattern based on the angled flap transition, as I am basing my design off the sleeved waistcoat seen in the included engraving. To create the pattern, I am using an existing waistcoat pattern that I already have and modifying the front panel to include the flap to make it double-breasted. Otherwise, I am using all existing pieces from the current pattern.

To start, I traced the current front panel piece on my paper, which you can see in the above picture after the fact. I then determined the point that I wanted the flap to start at on the waistline, and drew a 2 inch line perpendicular to the pattern edge to start the flap.

To create the top portion of the flap, I thought (and this is where i screwed up) that the flap should close on the collar following the same curvature and length of the main body collar. To accomplish this, I flipped the pattern piece and placed it on top of my tracing to that the two center points touched. I then adjust the angle until it was symmetrical. (For reference: the correct angle for me was when the corners of the bottom inside piece of the front panel were touching.) I then traced to the top of the collar on the flipped pattern piece, and accounted for the seam allowance in the corner. Finally, I joined the bottom edge of the flap to the top edge of the flap to create this beauty.

 Unfortunately, this piece was only 95% correct. What I failed to realize is that duplicating the collar angle exactly, puts the flap up too high on the shoulder and it makes the angle of the flap too dramatic. The angle to extend the flap was correct, but the flap was far too long.

After making a muslin, I discovered this error and corrected it by first marking the point on the collar to where I wanted it to end, and the point on the flap edge where I planned to have the collar opening start from. I cut between the two points, and the results were exactly what I wanted. (Well nearly exactly; I could stand to lose a few LBs. My muslin is a little tighter than usual.)

Now that I've adjust the cut on the muslin, I will go back and adjust the pattern piece to match. Then I can get started on the actual waistcoat... and a diet.

P.S. Yes, I know that I've got the top flap backwards in my picture. It's easier to pin that way as a lefty.