Work in progress Leather Waistcoat/Vest

[Windrider30]

Ok as the title says this is a work in progress just started last night, this will be ALL hand sewn *my fingers are already crying lol* and lace work is going to be invovled

http://imgur.com/a/MoIWL

 

will keep adding photos as I progress, though I know the lace work wont happen for another week or so due to not having enough lace but basically what I am planning on doing is using a gaucho style lace on ALL seams (to hide the seams not that my stitching sucks or anything just think it will add a nice touch) edges (bottom and front sides of vest) will do a Mexican round braid (ugg still struggle with that some times but think it will look SOO much better then a simple double loop) the two pockets will be tooled from 4 to 5 oz leather with a compass rose and thinking of dying it black or a dark brown not sure as the leather is grey garment leather.  And sorry for some of the crappy shots taken with the phone

[bikermutt07]

Looking good.

[dirkba]

Good luck with ALL the stitching and lacing - you sure have a lot of guts.

I have a similar vest, but used real thin leather that I was able to sew.

For effect on the pockets I used small spring buck (female) horns and the "sides of the leather" which had rough edges.

Don't lose steam...keep going! Once you wear it there is no looking back - just smiles 

 

 

 

[Windrider30]

 

3 hours ago, dirkba said:

Good luck with ALL the stitching and lacing - you sure have a lot of guts.

I have a similar vest, but used real thin leather that I was able to sew.

For effect on the pockets I used small spring buck (female) horns and the "sides of the leather" which had rough edges.

Don't lose steam...keep going! Once you wear it there is no looking back - just smiles 

 

 

 

Not sure if it is guts or insanity will let you know lol, this will either be a "proper" waistcoat with buttons or it might just become a "vest" depends on if I can close it over my fat gut...if it wont close then ummm the excuse for no buttons is I do not like tight htings around my chest (grins)

6 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

Looking good.

Thanks I am updating the album as I go

[Windrider30]

FINALLY the back is fully laced up...I can not feel my shoulders or fingers right now lol just click on the link http://imgur.com/a/MoIWL and look down at the bottom added photos!

[bikermutt07]

That looks great. Will you be lacing the collar, sleeves, and front edges as well?

[impulse]

Hi windrider

If you have access to an ordinary home sewing machine, there are available leather point needles which will handle garment leather quite well. Should save you hours of hand stitching. Good job with the lacing!From a fellow Aussie, Lois

[Windrider30]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

Hi windrider

If you have access to an ordinary home sewing machine, there are available leather point needles which will handle garment leather quite well. Should save you hours of hand stitching. Good job with the lacing!From a fellow Aussie, Lois

Thanks impulse but every thing I do is by hand, my company's motto or the business I am SLOWLY starting, even the hand stitching, every thing I have made is old school no machines touch the leather once it arrives to me.

 

6 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

That looks great. Will you be lacing the collar, sleeves, and front edges as well?

Thank the powers that be there are no sleeves...that would be a nightmare for me to figure out lol. As for lacing, will be lacing the whole bottom edge, the side seams (side seams will be the same pattern as the back) all the way up to the front edges, the front edges and bottom will be done in a Mexican round braid but that will have to wait for a week or two due to not having enough lace, as I think I am going to need a LOT of lace, planning on buying around 100 yards and hope that is enough lol I honestly thing I will end up in the 50+ yard range in lace when I am done with the bottom and sides. All lace will be black suede the waistcoat/vest will not be lined as I really love the feeling of the back side of this garment leather its very soft to the touch.

[Windrider30]

forgot to mention that the pockets have actual tooling on them a compass rose simple but I reall like the way it turned out so have to stitch those one then more lacing and more stitching

[Halitech]

looking good so far. For the lace, measure the edges you want to lace then multiply that by 9 and add 10%, just for good measure.

I'm curious how comfortable it is with the suede lace going up the middle. Any time I've used it, it tends to bulk up quite a lot