We’ve got an episode of the Love to Sew Podcast coming out this week all about sewing vests! Caroline and I both sewed a vest and we sat down together to compare notes and talk about all things vests. I had such a good time sewing up my vests (plural!) and I am really excited to share them with our listeners and also with my readers over here on Helen’s Closet.
I made the True Bias Quinn Vest for my project. I knew as soon as it came out that it was something I wanted to make. The fit looked awesome and I love the princess seams and all of the view options. I am looking forward to making a longer vest and a dress eventually! I made the short view of Quinn first and - spoiler alert - I love how it turned out!
My first Quinn was made using a medium weight denim. This vest has been getting a ton of wear because it is nice and neutral, it looks polished, and it is really comfy! I enjoy a vest that can be worn as a standalone top or as a layering piece. It feels very versatile!
I did not have to make any fit adjustments for this version. In hindsight, I should have taken the upper back in a bit, which I did on my second vest. I love working with True Bias patterns and this was no exception! It came together beautifully. I think I need a dark denim version of this same vest because I wear it so much!
Now, for my second Quinn, I went off the rails a little bit. You know I love a good quilted moment. I was really excited about the possibility of colour blocking this vest because I realized I could alternate the fabrics all the way around.
I also opted to alternate the colours of the buttons and buttonholes - a detail that I really enjoy.
I also wanted to add a back detail. Ever since I made my Lazo vest hack I have been really inspired by back details and back applique on jackets and vests. I decided to add a sawtooth star to the back and I pieced it. It took a little mental gymnastics to figure out which pieces to cut in which colour but I got there eventually! Once I had the star, I added larger pieces onto it and then cut out the back piece.
The star had raw edges on the inside so I added a really lightweight lining to the vest. I only lined the center back panel and I left the rest of the vest unlined. I love how this star detail turned out!
This fabric is the 7oz softened cotton from Blackbird Fabrics. It is one of my favourites. It is a great weight for projects like this! I also used it on my patchwork Falconer Pants.
Head over to the Love to Sew podcast to check out the episode and hear more about our vest projects! We had so much fun discussing and sharing.
