This is a back-dated post for my archive project, where I am copying over every piece of art I have ever submitted to DeviantArt, with the original submission date or watermarked year stamp, so a complete archive of my work can be found on this website, even if the item was never or is no longer displayed in my portfolios.

Originally posted May 10, 2011.

This is a fully reversible men’s steampunk vest. The brown side is cotton duck, and the reverse is peacock-colored dupioni silk. I made a prototype version last fall. This is the final version.

I drew the violin design freehand in chalk, and then painted it with Jaquard fabric paints. It is a unique design. I heat-set the paint so it is washing machine friendly. The fabric was also pre-washed in hot water, so the vest may be steamed or ironed as well.

The pattern is an adaptation of several plates from the Handbook of Practical Cutting on the Centre Point System 1866, a book which is apparently now out of print and very expensive. If you are interested in making Mens’ Victorian clothing and can afford this book, I highly recommend it. It is a modern edit of a Victorian text describing how to draft and make tailored clothing, first published in 1866 and 1868. Most of the plates are of Men’s clothing, but there are also some women’s fashions and children’s fashions.

The primary plate I referenced is on p. 43, figure 4 and figure 5. I widened the overlap of the double-breast from ~2″ to ~4″. I also split the back panel into two pieces, referencing some of the basic coat patterns for a proper curve to give a fine tailored shape to the back of the vest. The basic size is the same chest measurement as Nathaniel Johnstone, so I did not to make any alterations to the dimensions on the prototype. However, the patterns in the Handbook are designed for a fashionable dandy silhouette, so on the final version I let out the waist quite a bit for a comfortable modern fit. On the final version I also moved the breast curve seam from the center front to a princess seam location. This allows the double breast to fold more smoothly, and will make it easier to adjust the pattern to fit other people, including women.