James Williams
Historical Tailor
Hand-tailored buttonholes are a thing of beauty, and in the hands of a skilled tailor, can make a coat stand out amongst others. Properly sewn, they will add a level of detail that you can be proud of, yet at the same time will sit unassumingly against the background of the coat. On the other …
Have you noticed that modern day fad of wearing your trousers too low? Today’s trousers are often worn at the hips, or even lower, which can be quite disturbing! This practice has carried over into the living history world, unfortunately, and you can easily spot reenactors with three of four inches between the trouser waistband …
I’m always on the lookout for good tailoring tools, especially in antique shops. You can find some quality items if you’re lucky. While vacationing in Lake George, New York this past month, I was fortunate to come across a pair of Wiss Pinking Shears in an antique store, for only $15.
Today I worked on cutting out a silk waistcoat, drafted from Devere, 1866. I obtained the silk brocade from Needle and Thread in Pennsylvania a few years ago, and plan to wear this with my linen frock coat for summer. To start off, I drafted the proportionate waistcoat pattern with my personal measurements.
The Madder Root Prior to the creation of man made, synthetic dyes in the late 19th century, all dyeing was done with natural products. One such dye was extracted from the the roots of the Madder family or Rubia, a type of perennial scrambling shrubs and herbs. These Madder plants grow in many parts of …
Here are a few photos of today’s work. Since the enlisted frock coats were unlined in the skirt, the tail pockets are exposed. The following photo shows a completed pocket, still with basting stitches in place. It is made out of a brown polished cotton, with a wool facing. Care must be taken when pressing …
While making over two dozen frock coats for Connecticut Valley Field Music, I inevitably came across the issue of having to fit women into a man’s coat. For the first couple of women’s coats, I used the same Devere’s pattern as the men. This worked somewhat with certain builds. But I finally came across some …
It seems these Enlisted Frock Coats have become my specialty. My latest is number twenty five. Here are some photos with brief descriptions for your enjoyment.
These trousers were custom made for a gentleman in the New England Brigade, a local reenactment group. One of the customizations I made was to put the watch pocket on the left side of the trousers, as he is left-handed. They are half lined with polished cotton, finished by hand, and were drafted from a …
Today begins a series of tutorials on constructing a Federal Enlisted Frock Coat, as was used during the American Civil War. I’ve made about a dozen of these coats in the past year, with more under way as you read this. In this post, we will mainly discuss the tail facings, preceded by some cutting …
Most of you have experienced a pair of trousers developing holes and tears in the crotch, probably at the least convenient time. Tailors have developed a way to help prevent these issues, called staying the fork. Since this area of the trousers takes the most stress, it’s important to reinforce it. The stay also prevents …
Before the first stitch is made, and before the drafting pencil ever touches the paper, measurements must be taken. When measuring, the goal is to obtain as much information about the client's figure as possible. Since most of my work involves Devere's Handbook of Practical Cutting, 1866, I'm using his methods of measuring.
Learning to draft clothing patterns can be very intimidating at first. There are pages and pages of instructions to read, such as with Devere's manual, or it can be full of points to draft out, such as with a coat pattern. It might be a good idea to start learning to draft by creating a woman's skirt draft. They have fewer points to draft, and fewer things can go wrong. I came across an article featuring three different methods of drafting a skirt by A. H. Scriven, from the Sartorial Gazette, August 1915. I like the part where the author states, "A school child, with a little knowledge of geometry, can both draft them and understand how the result is arrived at."
Tailoring knowledge has traditionally passed down from master to apprentice, with little written down. Tailors had their own secret methods of construction, and were not keen on other tailors gaining this knowledge. Sadly, this has led to there being very little information available on tailoring today. Most books published were cutting manuals, with the authors …
Since September of last year, I've been working on a major project. Outfitting my fife and drum corps, Connecticut Valley Field Music, with completely new uniforms.
I’ve been drafting patterns using a copy of Louis Devere’s The Handbook of Practical Cutting on the Centre Point System (1866) for almost two years now. Of the available drafting manuals from the Civil War period, this seems to be the most complete and easiest to learn. Some Mathematics One of the more difficult concepts …
Maintenance on a vintage Singer 201 sewing machine is very important to keeping it running at its best. I try to regularly clean and oil my sewing machine, a vintage Singer 201-2 built in 1939. It can be counted on to run beautifully most of the time, with perfectly straight stitches, and almost noiselessly, compared …
Welcome to the new website for James Williams, Historical Tailor, formerly known as Williams Clothiers, specializing in custom made 19th century historical reproductions. In the future, I plan to post about tailoring techniques, drafting, new projects, and other information that I feel will be of interest to you. The tailoring business today is nothing like …
