Richard the 3rd

Working with velvet in theatrical tailoring was a new challenge for me and my team at CSF this summer. Drafting these suits was a fairly standard process using the Sartor System of theatrical drafting. When cutting I instructed the first hand to pin the fabric nearly every inch on the selvedge and cut edges, to help mitigate the widgy movement of the fabric. We flat lined the white velvet with cotton to help provide structure, though if I did this again I would use a heavier weight material for the flat lining. Because we wanted movement in the black velvet suit it was not flatlined. During the stitching of these garments I taught my first hand and stitchers the rule of “a baste is never a waste”, and so every piece was hand-basted together before being sent through the machine.