Ultimate Tennant Suit - making body

Now I have cut the first panels of the jacket I can get onto some real exciting stuff – making it up into the Ultimate Tennant Suit!

First I had to correct a minor problem with the back of the suit, which involved re-cutting a new panel for the area above the belt. I was trying to get round it, but had to bite the bullet.
Here is where I cut it from:

Pair 3 -
36 x 34

I used the fronts from the pair that had provided the front panels of the suit.
The reason I recut was to correct the grain direction of the fabric, which should run slightly diagonally from the waist to the shoulder, not the centre back.
You live and learn.

Anyway, that out of the way I can at last start sewing some real GAP fabric!
I start with the front panels, and stitch the chest darts, which run vertically from the upper chest down to just above the pockets (see right - the first line of stitching!).

Once this is pressed out, and the fronts are interfaced as per the Hand Tailoring I outlined recently, I can think about making and setting the breast pocket.

It is sewn on the surface of the jacket with a separate flap above. The pocket has a box pleat on the front.
This has to be constructed very carefully, as it must span precisely three pinstripes.
The trick is to stitch up the centre behind the pleat at just the right place so a pinstripe lines both front edges of the folds (see left, top).

I then press the edges under, again lining along the pinstripes, with a one inch roll-fold at the top.
This is then pinned in place, aligning it with the pinstripes on the body of the jacket (see left, middle).
There is a level of compromise here as the chest dart expires under the pocket. This means it is possible to square the pocket to the pinstripes on one side only (take a sneak at the finished pocket and look at the right-hand edge to see what I mean).

Finally the pocket is top-stitched in place, with a sort of stretched triangle of strengthening at the top corners (see left, bottom).

I then need to do the breast pocket flap. This is quite simple really.

First I sew the flap together from two pieces of fabric, leaving it open at the top (see right, top).
This is then clipped at the corner points and the seams graded before turning and pressing it flat.

To stop the attaching edge bulking, I overlock the open end (rather than double-fold it) and then stitch it in place above the pocket (see right, bottom).

Once flapped into position I then firmly press the edge and it happily sits in the right place.

Here is the finished, pressed and crisp result (see left).

The white stitching around the pocket is tack stitches I have put to keep the body of the jacket and the horsehair interfacing together while I work – these will obviously be removed before I finish!

Ultimate Tennant Suit -the FINISHED calico test

If you’ve been following the progress making the calico test for The Ultimate Tennant Suit – then this is what you’ve been waiting for!

It’s finished! Yippe!

I’ve hand-stitched the last bits around the collar, and set the four buttonholes and buttons (see left).

I’ve also done some other minor stitch work, just to help keep everything in its place.

Burgundy Suit - assembly starts

I have now designed the bulk of my Tennant Suit Pattern, and have cut the main parts in the Burgundy Pinstripe Fabric I have created. Time now to start making it up.

As I do with the Tennant Coats I have made, I have found it much easier to work the panels of the garment flat, setting the pockets separately as I go, rather than trying to do them in a bulky, already made-up coat.

I start with the breast pocket, repeating what I did in the Calico Test.

I sew the front panel of the pocket to create the pleat which is exactly two pinstripes wide (see above, left), and press it flat. I then attach the lining along the top edge and fold it in half, making the pocket front (see above, centre). The edges are then press over and stay-stitched ready to be sewn onto the jacket (see above, right).
The flap above the pocket is sewn from two halves, and simply attached inverted in place and pressed firmly into its final position (see right).

I then make the flaps for the faux flap pockets. To make sure they don't curl upwards after they are in place, I use a simple little trick: I put in a pin pointing towards the tips of the corners (see below, left). This pushes the top over the underside by the slightest amount and when it is sewn (leaving the pins in place) and turned rightside, this subtle distortion remains and the corners curl slightly, but in the direction I want them to (see below, right).

The flap is then pressed in half to its final size (see above, right) ready to set. I do this now, because if it is pressed after it is sewn in place, it can leave a nasty footprint on the body of the jacket under the flap.

The flap is then sewn in place on the jacket, inverted, at the level of the lower welt (see above, left). The pocket facing is then sewn above it, also inverted, and sewn at the level of the upper welt (see above, centre). The pocket opening is slit between the two welt lines (see above, right) then the pocket facing and the tail of the flap are turned to the back, making the finished pocket (see left).

Blue suit - jacket pockets

So far work on the new pattern for my suit has gone very well, far exceeding my expectation of how quickly and well I could cut it to fit.


The Five Coat pattern I cut, although I am totally happy with it, took a while to arrive at, doing through a process of cutting - adapting - cutting - revising - cutting - altering . . . . . before I got to something I was pleased with.

This time round I have cut a block (a base template) from which I then cut my pattern, both of which fitted perfectly first time (see above).

So it is now time to cut the pattern for some of the details of the suit, such as the breast and outer pockets.

The Breast Pocket
I had previously tackled the Breast Pocket before, and had made some decent, but crude samples (see left), so I know the the construction of the pocket already.
I do, however need to work it to the new pinstripe dimensions I have.

This time round though, my style will be a lot better and my work a not neater!

The new techniques I have learnt from my tailoring classes have shown me the best, methodical approach to use, so I first draw up the pocket as a block (see above),  to the finished cut size, then trace a pattern, adding seam allowances only at that stage (see right).

The pocket is made from a front, which is pleat fronted; a lining, which is just the width of the finished pocket; and the flap, which is cut in two parts.

First I make the front by sewing the pleat together, and pressing flat. The lining is then attached to the top edge of the pocket, and it is folded flat, with a one-inch turnover of the front into the inside of the pocket. I then stay-stitch around the pocket to keep the edges stable (see left).