Padded winter vest from the stash

Yes, this all came out of the stash.

I already had enough of the Seattle Fabrics quilted nylon puff.

I had traced a pattern from a vest I wear all the time, and made an allowance for the thickness.

And now I'm just auditioning fabrics.

I love this cowboy print

 I love this handpainted muslin more.

I had yards and yards for years; this is all I have left.

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/04/miyake-dress-1309.html

There was lots of trimming the fluff out of the seams, not the facing for it. Keeps it from pulling away from the seams as much as it will want to.

The collar is a elongated ellipse

And a super easy draft.

Cut out one piece on the bias (green is the grainline, red is the fold). One outside edge is the measure of the collar opening. plus overlaps for the snaps.

Fold it over on the red line.

You can draft that front curve from the curve of the neckline. Don't fuss over the back neck line, it will resolve itself.

It doesn't have to be precise (too long is better, you can trim it down to fit at the end).

And it flexes and snugs up to your neck; without a seam there, it doesn't chafe.

My neck is chafe free. It's my holiday wish for yours as well.

I add the pockets after the body, because I want the pocket to go where my hand wants to find it.

So I need to put the vest on to use my hand to determine that.

Here's where my pocket should be: where my hand hits the front expecting there to be a pocket.

Note that I marked where my lower wrist hits on the front with a safety pin.

And here's my diagram of how this pattern should work.

Those extra rectangles are the fat upper self-welt, that folds over to fill the gaping hole my hand goes into.

You can use the fashion fabric to cover that part, so it all matches, but I wanted the black slashy contrast, to work with the collar.

I have noticed I tend to forget what the pattern piece is supposed to do after I draft it. So I've taken to writing the instructions on the piece.

I can read it, that's good enough.

Tracing and correcting

Marking where the hole is going to be.

This piece of lining was scavenged from a miniskirt I thrifted for it's fabric. That fabric made into a hat, the zipper went in a purse, the hook into the stash, but the lining filtered down into the box.

And today, that skirt is all used up.

One pocket done before I thought to take photos.

Trust me, there's a pocket sewn on there. Not my best finish job, but my handsewing game needs work.

The red computer-drawn lines are where the stitching lines go. I don't stitch the ends of the rectangle shut,  I don't need to.

Top stitch the hole before I flip the pocket in and sew that.

I blew through this, no time for photos.

It's really chilly in this house, and I needed this vest pronto.

I blew through the snap insertion part, too.

The best punch is still the one on the left, from Closet Case Patterns' Kelly anorak snap set kit.

The one on the far right is from Tandy, and it doesn't like fabric. The shorty in the middle is from the Dritz set I used, and it doesn't like anything.

2019 will improve my hand sewing and my photography. 

There will be a bit more posted before we close this year out.

Unless I eat too much chocolate.

Or drink too many lattes.

Six Napoleons Actual Draping With ... Drapery (tags included)

The thrifted original materials. A stretch bodysuit and two poly organza curtain liners. About $18 all told. Thank you Value Village.

So, now it's time to actually do some draping.

Need something to stitch this skirt to.

Used my jeans pattern to make a fitted half skirt base (zipper on right side seam)

Cut some thin painter's tape strips

Ya think? Nah.

I don't want to block a lot of zipper. I will want to get this off and on. Because of this issue, my angles are not as acute as Marianne's

Eh, okay

NO, I still can't unzip a dress or anything on my right, so zip's on my left. 

Yes, that does mess up the angle of the skirt. And I do think it loses some of its charm.

Sigh. Moving on....

It will be the same angle on the front as the back. Did a pin mark and flipped it.

 Flair pen!

So I noticed something about this skirt. It's a double layer all around, and given that, it's about the same length except for that dip in the front.

I am draping for the hem, not the v-shape. The v-shape of the bodice is going to get stitched over this piece anyway.

I honestly was going to measure out what i needed, but I had itchy fingers.

Starting at the side seam was too obvious for me. Gotta hide the join between two pieces of sheer fabric in a fold. That big off center one.

Start at this end. 

No

Start at this end. Huh.

Huh. This isn't...working.

And then it hit me.

And this was the brainstorm. The fabric is draped doubled up. If I slice the corner piece and unfold a square of it, leaving the rest folded, I have a seamless godet in the middle, a double layer on the right side, and an underlayer on the left side.  

So the single layer square goes on FIRST. I repeat this on the other side, single layer first.

See the tag? 

 And then I pinned the double end off to the right, over the single layer. 
Repeated for second piece.

And I pleated and repleated and on and on and I had to stop and go be a mom. It was all of Sunday.

I will finish it up in a day, but I think I'm on the right track. Steamed out a little, it's better than this now. Given a little more hang time, even better.

Not as soft as the original, but it's not silk either. It won't hang the same, I'm not stupid. But that's not the point. 

I am the cheapest toiler I know. And that is the point.