THE TAILOR OF GLOUCESTER

While Beatrix Potter was staying with a cousin at Haresombe Grange in 1894, she heard a story about a tailor’s new suit.  From this she wrote a story for a small friend, which was subsequently published with her illustrations as The Tailor of Gloucester in 1903.  The tale is that a real-life tailor (in Westgate Street in Gloucester) had cut out all the pieces for a waistcoat for the mayor of Gloucester, when his assistants decided to have some fun and finished it for him as a surprise.  Well, all but for one buttonhole, which was adorned with the words “No More Twist”, as the assistants had run out of silk.  The story grew that it had been finished by fairies, but Beatrix Potter decided to say that it had been finished by mice.  Amongst her research for the book, Miss Potter studied a waistcoat held in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection.

Fast forward to 1978 and the establishment of a Tailor of Gloucester Museum in College Court, Gloucester.  GFWI was asked if they would be prepared to make a replica of the waistcoat.

Lady Carolyn Elwes (a member of Winstone WI) spent many hours of research, taking measurements and details of the 200-year-old waistcoat in the Victoria and Albert Museum (which was one of Beatrix Potter’s inspirations); tracking down the right colours and quality of threads; even unravelling materials to get a perfect match.  The silk fabric was from Lady Carolyn’s own wedding dress, chenille edging from cut up curtains, threads from relatives and ‘stashes’

The team – comprising Lady Carolyn, Mary Birch (Tutshill WI), Heather Bousfield (Sheepscombe WI), Betty Woods (Southam WI), Betty Barker (France Lynch WI) and Mary Jakeman (France Lynch WI) – then spent 400 hours constructing and embroidering the waistcoat.  It was finally finished and presented in 1980.