Simplicity 4059--can it be made reversible?

[gem]

After two years of hemming and hawing, I have *finally* decided what I want to make for Milord's father, who has shrunk out of the last set of garb I made him (and who needs more than one set anyway). I'm doing the shorter Simplicity 4059 doublet. I'm wondering if anyone who's made it can comment on the construction and whether it would be feasible to make it reversible. I've made all of my bodices and Milord's jerkins reversible... but those have been mostly self-drafted. Not entirely sure how to go about adapting a pattern I'm not 100% familiar with for making it reversible. (I know WeeWench just made a reversible version of the Alter Years doublet pattern--so if you're reading this, I'd love to hear tips!)

Gramercy!!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

gem!

I don't think there should be a problem in making the SIMPLICITY pattern reversible. That pattern calls for a lining anyway. Just make sure the fabrics being used are of equal weight for easier turning and pressing.

I have done reversible Bodices. It can be done for Doublets.

[gem]

Thanks, Lady K! Last night I actually sat down with the pattern instructions and saw that the construction is very basic--hardly different than how I've done gads and gads of other things. And thanks to Google, I found a blogger who had done this successfully (reversible 4059).

So, the next step is actually finding/deciding on a second fabric to work with! (Geez, the first one only took, what, forever? LOL) For the main side, I'm going to use a black and gold upholstery fabric I used as an accent in my purple kirtle project last summer, and I'm thinking maybe a solid cotton twill on the reverse. Just need to pick a color.

[Rowan MacD]

  Thanks for the ling to that blog  .  That is such a good idea and sooo cute to include that little 'treasure pocket' in the childs' doublet.
Having it reversible helps with the inevitable stains on the front..ingenious!

[gem]

Having it reversible helps with the inevitable stains on the front..ingenious!

Ha! That's just what *I* was thinking, Rowan! (Recalls the great Much Ado Coffee Incident of 2010. LOL!)

[Dinobabe]

I made this one several years ago; reversible.  One of my earlier sewing projects so now that I look back I'm not really happy with it!

[gem]

Natasha, I think it looks great! The fabrics you chose are beautiful, and it doesn't look like every other 4059 doublet out there. What don't you like about it?

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I just bought this pattern at JoAnn's yesterday for $1.99

I am going to redraft it for a long Doublet/Vest for a client who is more 3X, add trims, buttons and loops to match the Venetians I made him last year.

[Dinobabe]

Natasha, I think it looks great! The fabrics you chose are beautiful, and it doesn't look like every other 4059 doublet out there. What don't you like about it?

Thank you Gem!
  I'm much better at fitting a woman's body than a man's and it doesn't "fit" my husband the way I envisioned.  Of course, he doesn't go with me very often so I don't feel the need to redo it if he really isn't going to wear it.  I like the colors and fabric, I really do.  They are mostly upholstery so they lay very stiff.  I think a softer more flexible fabric would have worked better.  And it was important to me that it didn't look like the example pic on the pattern envelope!  I added the lacing at the shoulders to give him more room, he has VERY broad shoulders.  You'll notice the tabs are looped, which means they don't exactly match on the reverse side!  The gold and green side was supposed to be the "I have money" side and the maroon and brown side was supposed to be the "I don't have quite as much as the other guy but I still want to show off a little" side.  Hence the gold trim and braiding.
If I did this pattern again I think I would keep it more simple (but reversible, of course!).

[The Wee Wench]

Gem, I just saw this!

The only issue (for me) in making the doublet reversible was that I couldn't sew the side seams, but left them open like the front to be grommeted (sp?).  The trade off though is you get more adjustment that way.

I rarely follow pattern directions so here's a quick version of the steps I took:

1.  Cut the four sections of the torso out of the primary fabric, secondary (reverse side) fabric and interfacing.
2.  Cut out the collar, tabs for the waist and the split caps for the shoulder.  I did not use interfacing for these, so just the primary and secondary fabrics.
3.  Applied the interfacing to the secondary fabric on the four torso sections.
4.  Sewed the back pieces together, primary and secondary.
5.  Sewed the back pieces to the front sections at the shoulder seams, primary and secondary.
6.  Sewed the collar pieces together, turned right side out, then sewed to the neckline of the primary fabric torso.
7.  Sewed all the tabs and caps together, turned right side out, then stitched to the waist and arm opening of the primary fabric torso.
8.  Pinned the primary and secondary torso sections together, right sides touching. 
9.  Sew all around the edges except leave a section open at the back waist to turn it right side out.  That's probably the trickiest part...getting all that fabric pulled through.
10.  Pressed.
11.  Inserted lightweight poly boning along the four side seams and the two front seams, where all the grommets will be placed.
12.  Stitched along boning to encase it.
13.  Stitched closed the opening at the waist where it was turned right side out.

I think that was everything.  I just made another doublet that isn't reversible because it has detachable sleeves.  I couldn't figure out how to make it reversible and still have the d-rings be inconspicuous. 

I hope all this makes sense.  

[Dinobabe]

I think that was everything.  I just made another doublet that isn't reversible because it has detachable sleeves.  I couldn't figure out how to make it reversible and still have the d-rings be inconspicuous. 

I did a reversible coat with removable sleeves.  I made button holes in the shoulder and attached the sleeves with a long bead on a string (similar to toggle).  You could also use a metal bar and ring toggle with additional adornments.  Then it would look like jewelry on the outer side not in use.  Another option is to use ribbon for both sides.  The unused ribbon side could be tied into bows or knots.

[The Wee Wench]

Oh, that's a great idea!  Thank you!

[gem]

Thanks, Nicki and Natasha! I am DEFINITELY doing this! I picked up my favorite gold/black jacquard from Hobby Lobby for the fancy side, and some rust cotton twill for the rugged side. Just need to pick trims and I'll be all set.

Natasha, when you made your reversible coat, where did you turn it? I'm trying to decide what I want to do here:

--Leave the side-back seams open and have it lace up there, just like you did.

--Turn through the shoulder seams (like I would do on a bodice) and then insert the wings and topstitch.

--Turn through one of the side seams and hand slipstitch the opening closed (like I would do on a vest). This seems like the best option, but it's the one I've done the least often, and again I'm not sure how it would work with the wings at the shoulders. I did this on the Much Ado About Nothing vests, which were lined... and it occurs to me now that 4059 *is* meant to be lined; maybe I should read the pattern instructions and see what's recommended for a clean finish there.

[Dinobabe]

Thanks, Nicki and Natasha! I am DEFINITELY doing this! I picked up my favorite gold/black jacquard from Hobby Lobby for the fancy side, and some rust cotton twill for the rugged side. Just need to pick trims and I'll be all set.

Natasha, when you made your reversible coat, where did you turn it? I'm trying to decide what I want to do here:

--Leave the side-back seams open and have it lace up there, just like you did.

--Turn through the shoulder seams (like I would do on a bodice) and then insert the wings and topstitch.

--Turn through one of the side seams and hand slipstitch the opening closed (like I would do on a vest). This seems like the best option, but it's the one I've done the least often, and again I'm not sure how it would work with the wings at the shoulders. I did this on the Much Ado About Nothing vests, which were lined... and it occurs to me now that 4059 *is* meant to be lined; maybe I should read the pattern instructions and see what's recommended for a clean finish there.

I looked at the doublet again last night.  I turned the front pieces thru the side back and the back thru the top shoulder.  I stitched all of the tabs into place with the machine when I put the two pieces together.  I did the side and top seams because the grommets/lacing cover up the stitching.    I actually had a hard time finding my stitching!

[Goody]

I have made this one. You would just use another fashion fabric for the lining and follow the same directions.