Tailoring: Canvassing
@officialisot
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@biasbespoke
@lauriekurutz3639
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Master the art of canvassing a jacket to give your lapels roll, shape the chest, and give your finished garment the hallmark drape of true bespoke tailoring.
Materials Needed:
- Main jacket fabric cut to front pattern pieces
Hair canvas or hymo (body canvas) for fronts and lapels - Domette or soft chest felt (optional for extra loft)
- Linen or cotton stay tape (roll line and shoulder seams)
- Tailoring thread—silk or fine cotton
- Hand-sewing needles size 8–10
- Beeswax and pressing cloth
- Sharp shears and tailor’s chalk
- Basting cotton for temporary tacking
- Tailor’s ham, sleeve roll, steam iron, clapper
Tips Before You Begin:
- Pre-steam hair canvas to pre-shrink before cutting.
- Align canvas grain with garment grain to maintain vertical hang.
- Use small pad stitches (⅛ in) on the lapel roll; lengthen to ¼ in down the chest.
- Shape over a tailor’s ham and allow each steamed section to cool before moving on.
- Grade seam allowances and trim excess canvas out of seamlines to reduce bulk.
1. Cut and Align the Canvas
- Lay the jacket front pattern on the hair canvas; trace and cut a duplicate, extending into the lapel and up to the shoulder seam.
- Mark roll line, break point, and grainline on both canvas and fabric with tailor’s chalk.
- Place canvas on wrong side of jacket front, matching shoulder, armhole, and grain marks.
2. Baste Canvas to Fabric
- Thread baste horizontally and vertically every 2 in to anchor canvas without shifting.
- Trim canvas away from seam allowances, leaving ¼ in inside edges so seams stay slim.
3. Pad Stitch Lapels
- Wax thread, knot, and hide knot between layers at lapel point.
- Pad stitch along roll line with short diagonal stitches, catching a few fabric threads and dipping deeper into the canvas.
- Work outward, lengthening stitches as you move toward the lapel edge.
- Steam and mold the lapel over a tailor’s ham, allowing it to cool to set the curve.
4. Build the Chest Piece
- Position domette or felt over upper chest; baste to canvas.
- Pad stitch chest area with broader, looser stitches to loft the chest without stiffness.
- Tape the roll line: lay stay tape along chalk line and fell-stitch to canvas only, stabilizing the fold.
5. Reinforce Shoulder and Armhole
- Sew bias-cut canvas strips along shoulder seam to prevent stretching.
- Tape armhole edge with narrow linen tape, easing slightly at the front arm scye to maintain shape.
6. Shape and Press
- Steam-press the canvassed front over a ham, directing fullness into the chest and lapel.
- Use a clapper to lock in the shape without flattening pad stitches.
7. Prepare for Assembly
- Remove temporary basting that crosses seamlines.
- Keep interior pad stitching and tapes intact; proceed to join jacket fronts to side panels following your pattern instructions.
