All Stash Vest

I've been working on a vest that is not working out well, and I thought maybe I could remodel an old one.

this one. And it's just too small altogether now to be remodeled.

But I do still have the rest of this fabric.

A bit of a story here. 1992, my first trip to London, standing in Conrans and loving this two faced upholstery cotton with branding symbols on it. It Was A Lot Of Money.

I sat on it for awhile when I got home, until I bought a vest that needed new lining (the gold was too much for the tan front) (and the gold was too beautiful to get rid of). I would need to make a new vest to go with the lining. And this fabric was perfect.

Fabric and lining potentials (the middle dark grey went back to the drawer). This is all pretty deep stash - the black and white stripe is the newest at eight years in the 'collection'

I am going to alternate with them.

It's a lot easier to cut into this stuff now than it was in the mid90's.  And i still have a sizeable hunk for something else. I have noticed the smaller the remnant gets, the more I adore it.

 

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.

Offgrain Straightening

I'm sorry, this makes me laugh so so hard.

Here's the instruction video. 

And there's the ad for Spoonflower......(upper right)

My offgrain cotton twill yardage from Spoonflower was grained up by myself.

I pinned mine to the wall while wet, and let it dry.

Yes, I used a level to line it up properly.

It did not stay ongrain forever, and the pants in this set are unwearable now. 

What was I thinking with the vest? I couldn't quite get it placed where I wanted it,
 and it pains me to look at how it visually argues with itself.
Don't blame the Folkwear Vintage vest pattern 222 - it's the best out there.

Their printing process is better on the lighter weight materials, and it's easier to straighten them. Getting them to stay there...working on that.

Remember, if you can't get something to grain up, don't make something you want to last. Unlike my pants, the fabric will try to regrain itself. 

It really really really is not worth your time. It will only break your heart.

Plaidness

This very long, photo heavy post is about matching plaids. Specifically, welts for pockets on a plaid vest front.

It's pretty swifty, but it's just a lot of plaidness.

Two sewing lines for single welt. Reinforced.

I interfaced the back. Which is good, or I would never have been able to mark these. All four of them.

Match plaid

Stick pin through bottom corner

Make sure plaid matches at bottom corner

Stick pin through from back to front to find other end of seam. Fiddle around to get plaid to match and pin it down in front.

Now, very carefully, fold the top portion down. Pin welty fab onto front. Check repeatedly.

Secured? 

Flip over and sew bottom line

Check?

Reinforce (iron on stabilizer, go!)

Iron and trim to reasonable size

Stitch in middle, sorta middle

Check pocket direction and location

Secure pocket!

Stitch top seam and clip.

When you clip the ends, leave the angled triangly part as long as possible.

Pull the pocket through to back

Clip ends, not too short

Here's the fun part. I grab my long pointy reverse action tweezers and poke them through that gap at the end, between the fabric and the lining. And I pull and work that end of the welt through to the back side

And there it is. Give em a tug to tidy up.

From the front.

Ironing it out, from the back.

Fold it over and press.

Eh, not perfect

Sew up the sides and bottom.

Top stitch the ends (in the ditch)

The more I do, the better they get. Which I suspect means I should have done about ten practice ones before the real ones.

The lining is getting a self lipped welt. Place fabric, pin, sew two lines

Open wide! Snack break!

Pull bottom up to make flapness

Iron flapness!

Flip over, admire!

Didn't place pocket quite right, so I sew the end edges together

I iron them and it looks actually nicer this way.

Top stitch in the ditch

There is a pocket. A nice one from this side.

What is fun about this is that from the wrong side, it's all long threads and a mess.

The collar and facings, well, no one will know what a hot mess that was.

So I have finished and lined fronts, and  I need to sew them to the back lining/s.

 And I'm lazy. 

So, I sewed the backs to the front like a sandwich. Lining, fronts, lining (hold the mayo).

Across the shoulders, around the arm holes 

NOT THE SIDE SEAMS

 (was that loud enough for you?) 

and the bottom seam. Together

Ya pull the fronts out from the side (pick one), sew the side seam (outside), press side seams to front, pin like a picket fence, and stitch the finishing side seam in the ditch.

And it's done.

Okay, it needs buttons and stuff, and that lapel needs a whole lot of pressing and tacking to hold, BUT

It's the slooooowest job in the world, and then the finish is WHOOSH!

My son comments: Quite nice. Much nicer than your usual. Is this a trend?

Level up?