The Jacket Front

Tailoring 101 

The Jacket Front

 Adjustments have been made to the toile and transferred to the pattern and the fashion fabric cut out. For the next 2 weeks the class will be working on their jacket fronts, so the only fabric pieces that you will need are the centre fronts and side front panels. 

Cut the centre front pattern pieces  out in weft fusible interfacing. This can be optional and I can see some tailors cringing at this as they would never use a fusible fabric. The reason is that when first learning to tailor it is easier to use a fusible interfacing.

 Chose a fusible interfacing that will not change the hand of your fashion fabric.

When working with a fusible interfacing place the to wrong sides of the fabric together on a table; set the iron onto the correct or  wool setting for your fabric; place a pressing cloth over the jacket front;  hold the iron just above the fusible and lightly steam over a small section of the front, you will see the fusible interfacing start to shrink; drop the iron straight down onto the front and hold for 5-10 seconds without moving the iron; left the iron and repeat the process until the fusible interfacing in attached to the front and leave to cool. 

Cut the side front panels out in weft fusible interfacing ; measure up from the hem line 2 1/2 inches (5.25 cm)  and mark; square across from this mark until you are approximately 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) from the end of the pocket placement and mark as A; measure down 2 -3 inches from the back armhole and make a curved line down to A, cut away this section of fusible interfacing. Fuse the weft fusible interfacing to the side front panel.

Please note: Traditionally no fusible interfacing is used. The pocket areas are strengthened by placing a strip of pocketing/silesia fabric on the wrong side of the pocket placement area.

Remark the darts, roll line, centre front, buttonhole and pocket  placements; attach the side front panel to the centre front using a stitch length of 2.5mm stitch down the seam allowance matching the notch points and back tacking to top and bottom of the stitching; pin and stitch the darts together using a stitch length of 2.5mm,  starting  about 5 stitches in from the top of the dart back tack back to the dart point  and stitching back 5 stitches at the bottom point of the dart ( this will stop the first stitch from pulling or showing on the right side of your front) 

Press the seam open and flat using a clapper and a seam roll; press the dart(s) towards the centre front. Stretch the folded side of the dart rather than clipping into the dart at its centre.

Make your pockets.

Whip stitch across the pocket opening





If you are choosing not to use weft fusible interfacing and are working with a stripped fabric  made your dart by folding the dart with right sides together, pin and check that the stripe is matching perfectly. Place a small piece of lining fabric under the top point of the dart and machine stitch the top point of the dart and through the curved middle section to the bottom point. Check the position of the dart to make sure that the dart is sitting centred between the two stripes ( as much as possible) with the stripes coming slightly together at the waist line before curving out towards the hem line. Check that both sides match if not this will alter the balance of the finished jacket.

The dart here is not centered 

Menswear

In menswear the dart and side seam are finished with  hand stitching. The hand stitch used is a prink or stab stitch. The stitches are barely visible but form a small dimpled affect very close to the edge of the seam or dart. Use silk thread for the stitches  beginning at the top end of the dart or seam bring the needle up from the back to the front of the work and take a tiny 1/16 inch (2 mm) stitch before returning the needle to the back of the work.

The Hair canvas or Hymo

The canvas has no right or wrong side and can be cut straight of grain or on the bias as I have for my jacket.
Working with the canvas folded in half or doubled, lay it flat on a table and place the jacket front on top matching the grain line or on the true bias.
Chalk mark around the outside edges of the jacket front; mark the underarm point and remove from the canvas; measure towards the back at the underarm point 3 inches (7.5 cm) and following the armhole shape extend the chalked shape out 3 inches (7.5 cm) mark as A; Measure up at the front edge 2 inches (5 cm) or your hem allowance and square over 5-6 inches (12.5- 15 cm) and draw a chalk line mark as B; connect with a curving line A-B; cut out the canvas.

Divide the canvas shoulder in 3 and mark; cut down from the marks 2- 2 1/2 inches (5-6.25 cm) to allow for the shoulder bone.

Menswear
Lay the canvas onto a scrape piece of canvas so the it finishes 3/8 inch (1 cm) up from  the break line and mark; pin along the roll line to hold in place; on the shoulder open up the cuts forming small wedges approximately 3/8 inch (1 cm) wide at the top shoulder. Open these wedges towards the armhole only as you don't want any added canvas in the neck line. Pin in place and cut out the canvas chest piece cutting along the roll line to the mark above the break line, across the shoulder and around the armhole and cutting down in a curving shape to the roll line.

Women's wear
For women you cut more of a canvas shoulder piece than canvas chest piece. Lay the canvas onto a scrape piece of canvas as in menswear and follow the instructions for making the wedges from the shoulder. Cut the canvas shoulder piece out by cutting across the shoulder and down the armhole until the armhole starts to shape under the arm, cut half way down the roll line and curve back up to the armhole.

canvas shoulder piece

For both menswear and women's wear stitch the shoulder/chest piece to the canvas fronts around the wedges.
Quilt the shoulder/ chest piece to the canvas fronts in 1 inch (2.5 cm)  squares (optional)

wedges stitched in place

The chest piece

The chest piece is traditionally made from domette which is a woven fabric made from wool.  The grain line is going to sit down the roll line when placing the domette onto the canvas front . The chest piece fabric I'm using here does not have a grain line.

Place your chest piece fabric onto the right side of the canvas front  so that the should edge is sitting just under the shoulder seam allowance; cut the chest piece down the roll line and around the armhole to the under arm point  and curve across to the roll line. Stagger or graduate the length of the chest piece fabric so that you will get a nice finish on the finished garment.

From the front armhole notch point draw a line across the chest piece.

Pin or baste the chest piece to both the canvas fronts making sure that they are both in the same position.






The pad stitching

The chest piece is padded to the canvas layers using pad stitches. The lines of stitching run in two directions; in horizontal lines from the line up towards the shoulder and vertical lines that follow the  roll line below the line. Start with the horizontal lines with the first row of pad stitches worked across the top of the line. Roll the canvas and chest piece in your non needle hand with your fingers on the canvas where the stitches are being placed, pushing up so that the stitches remain small and smoothing the canvas as you work. The stitches should be 1/2-3/4 inch (1.3-2 cm) apart  being careful not to pull the thread to tight, there should be no pulling. The second row will be about 5/8 inch (1.5 cm) from the first row

Now repeat with the vertical lines starting with the first row worked down beside the roll line .

Once this side is completed repeat on the other side of the jacket canvas.

How to pad stitch
You will find how th pad stitch on page 82, figure 6.19 in Tailored Fashion design