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by Cynthia Anderson
Make a vest for Fall and add a bit of stylish flair to just about any outfit in your wardrobe with the 222 Vintage Vest pattern. Transform the look of jeans, skirts of any length, pants, and even dresses/tunics with a new vest. Whether worn buttoned-up or open, vests are the perfect piece to elevate a simple tee, henley, flannel shirt, crisp white blouse, or sweater. Make a vest for everyday, for a coordinated outfit, or even as a formal piece. Once you add a vest to your wardrobe it won't take long to discover what a versatile, interchangeable, comfy, and fun this piece is to make and wear. Check out these amazing creations from some of our customers.
Vests are a perfect addition to any wardrobe, especially when the temperatures drop, but when it's still not cold enough for a sweater, jacket, or coat. Then once winter truly arrives, vests create an extra layer of warmth, without adding more bulk. It is easy to spruce up your fall/winter wardrobe, with the 222 Vintage Vests pattern. The pattern is available as pdf too. Make this stylish garment for Fall and enjoy wearing throughout the cold months ahead. If you want to wear heavier layers under your vest, you might want to go up a size. Consider making vest for the first chilly days of spring as well! Or even in linen or lightweight cotton for a special summer outfit.
View A
View B
View C
This blog post will go through the pattern details, cover fabric selection, and go over all materials needed to make a vest from this pattern. In the next blog post, I'll show you how I made my own 222 Vintage Vest.
The 222 Vintage Vest Pattern
Our 222 Vintage Vest pattern offers three Victorian Vests for women and two for men. View C is a closely fitted women's vest. All three are fully lined. The backs are cut from the lining fabric for comfort and to reduce bulk. However, you can also make the back from the main fabric as well, especially if you plan to wear the vest on it's own and not covered by a jacket or coat.
View A is a simple, collarless V-neck vest with four welt pockets and adjustable back waist belt. The center front is pointed at the bottom and raises to hip length at the side seams and back.
View B is bias-cut for a decorative fabric treatment, features a shawl collar, and ends above the hipbone with a shallow point in front. Like View A, a back waist belt adjusts to fit. This view is perfect for using a different fabric for the collar, such as velvet. You could also use a patterned or striped fabric for an interesting look with the bias cut.
View C, sized for woman only, is shorter, extending just to the waist. Four front darts fit the vest snugly to the bust. A small notched collar plunges into the double-breasted front, which closes with two rows of buttons.
The pattern also includes a traditional Bow Tie for adding the perfect finishing touch to a collared blouse or shirt. You could also add a scarf, necktie, bandanna, or make a cravat using Folkwear's free pattern.
Vests are a great project for practicing tailoring techniques, such as making welt pockets, topstitching, edge stitching, adding linings, and making buttonholes.
Fabric Selection
One of the beauties of vests is that they make up beautifully with a relative small amount of fabric. Just about any woven fabric will work and it is fun to combine fabrics using different, patterns, textures, prints, stripes, or plaids. Dig through your stash to utilize what you may already have and find a pairing of fabrics you know you already love.
The outer layer of all the vest views work best in a medium to heavy weight fabrics made of cotton, silk, wool (tweeds), linen, velvet, corduroy, canvas, pique, or synthetic suede. The bias cut of View B is especially suitable for stripes or plaids.
For all the views, use a lining made of light to medium weight lining fabric such as; (Bemberg is a good quality brand), cotton, rayon, silk (haboti), synthetics, or blends.
Hint: Feel free to make the outer front and back of the vest out of the same fabric and make the lining with a light weight fabric.
Note: When using a directional design or plaids, you may need more fabric yardage to match plaids. See how Molly matched the plaids of her vest in the blog, Vintage Vest Inspiration.
Materials Needed
To make a vest, you will need:
Feel free to change the size of the buttons you use depending on preference. But remember, if the button is sized up or down very much adjustments need to be made so the vest will fit correctly. See the blogs Buttonhole 101: Part One and Buttonhole 101: Part Two for what you need to know.
Also, the back belt and buckle can be optional. If you prefer a vest that is looser or that will be an outdoor vest, you do not need to use the belt pattern pieces or need to purchase a belt buckle.
Don't Forget the Bow Tie
For all sizes of the Bow Tie you will need 1/4 yard (23cm) of light to medium weight fabric (all widths) and the same amount of interfacing (optional).
Join me in the next sew-along blog and see how I combine different wool fabrics to make a classic everyday vest with a simple to add twist. I will show you how I make the View A of this pattern, by simply turning the facing to the outside.
