Laurie is back again to share one of her recent Helen’s Closet makes - the Wildwood Vest! Wildwood is our quilted jacket and vest pattern that can be made in three different lengths and is perfect for layering in the cooler months.
I am so proud of Laurie for tackling this project! She has a little quilting experience (hello, Playful Placemats), but she has not ever quilted a garment. This is quite an undertaking and not a quick project, so I loved seeing her power through it and make the quilted vest of her dreams! AND she did a full bust adjustment. On her first quilted project! Incredible.
Laurie is already planning her second Wildwood because she loves wearing the first so much. I never tire of hearing that people enjoy our patterns and want to make them again and again.
Laurie is going to takeover the blog today to share her thoughts and experiences with this project. Take it away, Laurie!
Laurie’s Wildwood Vest
As soon as Helen posted "How to do a FBA on a Wildwood Vest", I knew this was the sewing project for me. For years, I’ve searched for the perfect vest for walking—one that was long enough to cover my bottom for warmth and wide enough that it didn’t pull across my chest when I wore a sweater or hoodie underneath it. I was very excited to see if the hip length of Wildwood with a bust adjustment meant my long search was over. And it was!!
I love the final look and fit of this vest. And I am exceptionally proud of those bust darts!! Helen has simple and easy-to-follow instructions for both creating the dart, and for quilting your fabric once it is “darted”. The only thing I would do differently next time (and there will be a next time!) is to baste the quilting lines onto the fabric BEFORE I make the darts. That would make the adjusted lines quite simple to follow and be more stable than just using chalk marks.
I have to give a shout out to the folks at Gala Fabrics in Victoria, BC for helping me with my Wildwood fabric selection. They brilliantly suggested using a discontinued bright orange wool as a warm and very inexpensive lining. Excellent decision. And while I knew I wanted a cozy flannel on the inside of the vest, they helped me achieve my desired “sporty” look for the shell by suggesting micro-suede instead of cotton. It’s exactly the look I was hoping for.
Because I wanted a neutral vest that I could easily layer with anything, I decided to make the bias tape out of the same microsuede. I’m not sure I would do that again. The fabric really resisted being folded. And I added to my frustration by not following Helen’s strongly worded advice to trim your seam allowances before trying to sew down your bias tape. Next time, I will be following her advice and picking a more user-friendly material for the tape.
I will also be paying closer attention to the direction of my pattern pieces. I told Helen I decided to put the pockets on sideways deliberately, but I think you and I both know I just made a mistake in the direction I quilted them. Turns out they work either way!
Finally, I love how my Wildwood pairs with my hooded Jackson Pullover. (I made a hoodie!!) This is already my go-to walking outfit for the fall. It allows for a lot of movement while keeping my whole core warm, and I know I’ll be wearing it until the weather simply demands that I wear a coat. Of course, by then I hope to be finished with my second Wildwood Vest -- a short “under-the-coat” version in a light denim/cotton quilting combination that I can’t wait to start!
Thanks so much for sharing your photos and thoughts about your amazing Wildwood, Laurie! We can't wait to see your next version! Make sure to follow along with all of Laurie's sewing adventures by following her on Instagram: @pinspaintsandpuzzles.
