After much frustration where the wool completely rended, twice!, on one of the front panels when reversing, we finally have a waistcoat ready for top stitching.
The wool tended to rend along seams, particularly where raw edges frayed endlessly. So after the original front panel, then the replacement panel rended, I just went to town on interfacing all suspect areas of the wool, including where the button holes will go.
I’m planning to do orange top-stitching and button holes. Also finally found the perfect buttons with little geese on them, just waiting for them and some fraycheck, to arrive in the post (who knows when that will be).