We each sewed a vest and, in this episode, we reveal them to each other for the first time! We talk about the patterns and fabrics we chose, the ups and downs of the sewing process, and how we’re going to style our new vests. Plus, an extra special surprise!
The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.
Show Notes:
Helen’s Denim Vest:
- Quinn Vest and Dress by True Bias
- Helen used a mid-weight chambray for this vest.
Caroline’s Cotton Vest:
- Arlo Vest by Patterns by Liliya
- Washed Linen in Oatmeal from Blackbird Fabrics
- Lining: 4.5 oz Sandwashed Cotton in Salt from Blackbird Fabrics
Helen’s Colourblocked Vest:
- Quinn Vest and Dress by True Bias
- 7 oz Softened/Washed Cotton in Dusty Mauve and Dark Denim from Blackbird Fabrics
Other Mentions:
- “Vest/Waistcoat” at the Fashion History Timeline by FIT
- “From Doublets to Vests: How Charles II Changed Men’s Fashion” by Edward Bettella at ART UK
- Otto Vest by Seamwork
- Wildwood Jacket and Vest by Helen’s Closet Patterns
- “Lazo Vest Hack” at the Helen’s Closet blog
- Lazo Jumpsuit by Helen’s Closet Patterns
Transcript:
Helen: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.
Hello and welcome to Love To Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.
Caroline: And I am Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.
Helen: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew, and it’s essentially all we wanna talk about.
Caroline: We each sewed a vest and we are about to reveal them to each other for the first time. We’ll talk about the patterns and fabrics we chose, the ups and downs of our sewing process, and how we’re gonna style our new vests.
Helen: If you love to sew, this is your show.
Caroline: Woo! We sewed vests!
Helen: I love these episodes so much. And I cannot wait to see your vest. I’m so excited.
Caroline: No, I am so excited too. I’m, like, vibrating with excitement.
Helen: I cannot say the word vest or think about vests without hearing the Simpsons, like, “See my vest, see my vest, made from real gorilla chest.” You know that song?
Caroline: Okay, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m sure some of our listeners will.
Helen: Our, our listeners will get it.
Caroline: I’m gonna look that up after.
Helen: You should. It’s amazing.
Caroline: Oh my gosh. Okay, well, before we get into this episode, we wanna remind you all that the best way to support Love to Sew is by joining us over on Patreon or Apple Podcast subscriptions. If you do that, you’ll get access to bonus content every month. We have so much fun catching up with you all on those more casual bonus episodes.
Helen: Yeah, and it really means so much to us if you’re able to support us, even if it’s just for a month or two, and you can listen to your heart’s content. And if that’s not in the cards for you right now, we totally understand. We just wanna thank you for listening and cheering us on.
Caroline: Yeah. Thank you. Okay, Helen.
Helen: Caroline.
Caroline: Oh, I’ve been looking forward to this for a while. Okay. As you all know, this is our new favourite kind of episode. I don’t think it’s a secret. We love it so much. And this time we each sewed a vest and we’re gonna reveal them to each other in just a few minutes. I’m dying of excitement. I’m so excited. But before that, we’re gonna talk a little bit about vests in general.
Helen: Okay, so vests, also known as waistcoats, are close-fitting, short, sleeveless garments that close at the center front. They’re traditionally worn under a jacket, though nowadays you can definitely wear them without one. You can even wear them without a shirt underneath. Gasp.
Caroline: Scandalous.
Helen: They can be single- or double-breasted, just like jackets. As in, a single-breasted vest has one row of buttons down the middle and a double-breasted vest crosses over at the center front and has two rows of buttons. Vests are often lined, but not always, which we’ll get into today.
Caroline: And historically, vests began to appear in the 17th century. They were an evolution of doublets from the Middle Ages. And doublets were padded and boned to make a dramatic shape. In contrast, vests were softer and tailored to the wear’s body.
Helen: Vests have never really left fashion. Even if their shapes change, they always have a place in formalwear, especially. For casual wear, they do go in and out of style, and right now they are very, very, very in. There are so many cool vests popping up in the sewing community and in ready-to-wear. We’re seeing them everywhere and I am here for it. I love this trend.
Caroline: I am so here for it. I’m especially in love with the, like, vest-as-top trend that’s happening right now.
Helen: Mmhmm.
Caroline: Like, we were kind of joking, “Ooh, scandalous. Nothing underneath.” But I feel like that’s kind of the look that is of the moment, right?
Helen: Yeah. And you’re essentially making it as a top, typically. So it has a higher underarm and you know, it doesn’t dip so low in the front, so it is structured just like a bodice with buttons down the front, and you can totally wear it as a top, no problem.
Caroline: Is it a vest? Is it a top? Is it a blouse? I dunno.
Helen: I don’t know! It’s a vest, you know.
Caroline: It’s a vest. We’re calling it a vest.
Helen: Caroline, have you ever made a vest before?
Caroline: I have. so I made the Seamwork Otto vest last year and that’s what I wore to Seamwork’s Stitchfest event that we went to in Portland together. So that was my, I believe, first experience making a vest. And I loved it. And I still wear that vest. I really, I really like it.
Helen: It is so cute. You chose a really nice, like, little mini houndstooth, is that right?
Caroline: Oh, it’s a tiny little gingham, actually.
Helen: Gingham. Yeah, it’s very nice and neutral and, like, wearable with everything. Like, perfect choice for a vest.
Caroline: Yeah. What about you? Have you made a vest before?
Helen: Yes.
Caroline: Hmm.
Helen: Well, here’s the thing. We have a vest in our pattern collection. We have the Wildwood Vest But when I think of “vest,” I don’t necessarily think of that style of vest, you know? Like a puffer vest or a quilted vest, even though that’s also a vest. But when we were prepping for this episode, I was in my head, like, “I’ve never made a vest before.” And then I remembered that we do have one in our collection. So I’ve definitely made vests before, but not the style that I was imagining making for this episode, which is a little bit more tailored, you know, buttons instead of snaps and, like, something that is more fitted to the body. So I’ve made Wildwood Vests. And then, this past summer, I made a cool, like, Lazo Vest hack where we took the Lazo bodice and we made it into a vest. I made it into a vest. And I did this cool, like, sun applique on the back. And that one turned out really great. And I’m really happy with how that one looked, but it wasn’t, again, also not quite as fitted as I wanted to go with for this episode. I’m trying not to give too much away, but…
Caroline: Oh….
Helen: You can turn a bodice into a vest if you wanna add buttons down the front, or choose a bodice that already has buttons down the front and kind of make it into more of a loosey goosey vest, which is what I did with that hack.
Caroline: Okay. I’m looking at this right now, and it’s so cute, Helen. I love this hack. You’re…okay. This little sun on the back is the cutest thing ever. Everyone needs to go check this out. I love it. But this isn’t the vest that you made for today’s episode.
Helen: No, it’s not. I actually made this back in February for QuiltCon and I loved wearing it at QuiltCon. It was so fun. I wanted something that had some applique detailing, ’cause everybody wears the coolest stuff at QuiltCon. Like, it’s the best fashion. And I really wanted to make some custom pieces for QuiltCon so I made this vest as part of that wardrobe. But I didn’t get around to sharing it until the summer, so.
Caroline: Okay. Got it.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: Helen, do you remember when you tried on that vest in Portland with the matching pants?
Helen: Yes. We have pictures, too. I’ll have to put that in the show notes.
Caroline: I have a really great, like, signature Helen, like, runway walk video…
Helen: Yes.
Caroline: That I feel like we need to post. But I, I love that look on you. I still think about it. It was so chic.
Helen: Yeah, and you can go all the way with the look by doing like a tailored trouser and vest matching and then you could even make a blazer matching and go full suit and then have all these pieces that you can mix and match. Yeah, that was more the vest I was envisioning when we were like, “Let’s sew vests.” Something, yeah. With, you know, all the classical details and stuff.
Caroline: Yeah. I do think there’s a, a pretty big difference in style from, like, a quilted vest or, like, a puffer vest to this, like, tailored vest look that we’re focusing on today. So they’re both vests, but they’re different.
Helen: Yeah. And there’s also denim vests, too. You know, you take a denim jacket, hack the arms off. You got yourself a vest.
Caroline: So true. Yeah. Yeah.
Helen: Great look, also.
Caroline: Alright, Helen, I am really excited to know what you made. Do you wanna go first? Do you wanna go first? Okay.
Helen: I’m pumped. I’m pumped. Okay.
Caroline: Ah! Okay. Wait. Ah. Oh my God. Just the preview was so cute. Oh my God. It fits so well!
Helen: I know, right?
Caroline: Helen!
Helen: It fits like a dream. It, like, hugs every curve. I’m obsessed.
Caroline: Oh my gosh. It fits you so well. It looks so good.
Helen: Thank you! Okay. I am gonna describe it for our listeners. I made the True Bias Quinn Vest, which I was totally on board with at the moment it dropped. It was exactly what I had been waiting for, looking for in a vest. It has so many views, which is really awesome. It has, like, a short cropped one, which is the one that I made, and then it has that longer one with the V split in the front which looks so cute paired with trousers. And then there’s dress views, too. You can do a short dress or a long dress, so truly, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with that pattern.
Caroline: Mmhmm.
Helen: I liked that it was unlined because I don’t like messing around with fancy, fussy details. Sometimes you just wanna get ‘er done. Yeah.
Caroline: I wasn’t expecting that. Okay. Okay.
Helen: Yeah, she’s unlined. It’s got nice facing finished details and bias finished details on the arm holes and the neck line, so it’s all really nicely finished, but the inside is unlined. So it makes it a really quick sew and it doesn’t involve a lot of fabric. It has a really cute little back strap buckle, which I think is a nice detail. A nice, easy detail to add. And it has a little V at the bottom. V is for “vest,” as we know. So you’ve gotta have the V at the bottom. And it’s an upside down V. I guess it’s more of a like pyramid, but…
Caroline: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Helen: It’s got, like, a little mini V at the bottom. And then if you make the longer vest view, it has that big V that I was just talking about. I really wanna make that longer one, too. I think it would be so cute. And now that I know how well the vest fits, I just wanna make this pattern over and over and over again.
Caroline: Oh my gosh. Wait. It’s so cute. And it fits you so well. I’m really dying to know if you made any fit adjustments, like, especially the back. I mean, the front looks amazing, but the back, too. It’s so good.
Helen: I made a muslin, ’cause you know I love a muslin.
Caroline: Yeah, yeah.
Helen: No changes.
Caroline: Oh my gosh, you’re lying. That can’t be true.
Helen: I mean, I do know that Kelli’s block fits me really well, so I was, like, prepared for it to fit well, but I was not prepared for it to fit this well. I was like, made the muslin, put it on and I, I was just like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe this.” I’m, like, running around my house trying to find Sam to be like, “Look at this muslin! It fits perfectly!”
Caroline: No, it’s hitting you at just the right spot everywhere, which is, like, really tricky with a vest, right? Like you want the underarms to hit right. You want the shoulders to hit right, the back. Like it’s just, it looks like it was drafted for you. It’s incredible. Wow.
Helen: I know, I’m really happy with that and feel like it’s a bit of a lucky moment that it fits so perfectly. And obviously, with a fitted garment like this, you’ll probably have to do fit adjustments. So I don’t wanna set people’s expectations that it’s always gonna fit perfectly. But with this vest, there’s princess seams and there’s lots of different areas where you can adjust it. And I like sleeveless garments for adjusting, too, because it’s easy to raise and lower an armscye when you’re not involving a sleeve as well. And it’s pretty easy to make little tweaks to how that armscye fits and how, you know, the bust fit and the back. There’s a center back seam, so if you need, like, if you have a high round back, you can adjust that. Lots of wiggle room to, like, sculpt it to your body. So I like that about the drafting on this one.
Caroline: Amazing. But you didn’t have to do any of that, so…
Helen: No, I didn’t. And I should say, ’cause our, our listeners can’t see it. It’s denim. It’s made of a light-coloured denim. I think it’s about nine ounces, so it’s not crazy heavy. And it’s got this beautiful, like, textured wash to it. I got it from Blackbird, but I don’t remember.
Caroline: I know. I’m like, “What fabric is this?” It almost looks chambray-ish, but it’s like a cross between a chambray and a denim. I’m gonna have to look at your order history and figure out what, what fabric this is.
Helen: I should have done that. It is a, I do believe it was, it’s a plain weave denim, not a twill weave denim. So that’s why it looks very, like, chambray-y. But it has weight to it. Like, you could make a pair of jeans out of this denim, and it’s heavy enough for that.
Caroline: Oh cool. And that tracks, right? ‘Cause it’s unlined, so you want something that has some structure. I know this pattern. When it came out, some of the samples were made in, like, a really cool, like, dark, heavy denim and I always thought those looked really good.
Helen: Yeah, I love a denim vest. I’d like to make the longer vest view in a darker denim with gold stitching. I’ve seen a lot of that in ready-to-wear. I think that would be so cute.
Caroline: Oh, yes.
Helen: Yeah. I chose this pattern because it is what I think of when I think of a vest. When you’re like, “Make a vest.” And I’m picturing this: tailored fit, princess seams. But it’s simpler because there’s no lining, it doesn’t have those little welt pockets on the bottom that vests often have, which is a nice detail, but, you know, I don’t, I’m not gonna use that.
Caroline: Not, I don’t wanna spoil it, but we’re gonna be talking about welt pockets.
Helen: Okay. I love it. I’m glad that somebody made the welt pockets, ’cause it, and, and I’m also glad it wasn’t me.
Caroline: So we can hash it out and have that conversation about the necessity or non-necessity of fake welt pockets on a vest. I have lots of thoughts.
Helen: I do think this pattern is, like, perfect for trying out this trend. You know, it’s perfect for just, like, giving vests a go because, yeah, you can cut it out of a small amount of fabric. You don’t have to line it. Throw it together, see how it looks, see if you like it, you know? Great.
Caroline: Yeah, it’s absolutely, like, your classic vest, but it’s nice that it has lots of different views. So you’re not just getting the one classic vest, you’re getting a lot of different options. I feel like this dress version would look amazing on you, too.
Helen: I know, right? I definitely wanna try that, especially for fall. And I think you could layer it, obviously, over a dress or a turtleneck or something like that. And it’s very seasonally appropriate, ’cause you can wear it any time of year.
Caroline: Well, I love it. It’s amazing.
Helen: Thank you! I wanna see yours. I wanna see yours!
Caroline: I’m sending you mine, I’m sending you.
Helen: Ooh. Oh my God. The scoopy bottom! Oh, and the buttons. Oh my gosh. It’s so cute!
Caroline: I feel like it’s a, really, we went in different directions, which is so fun.
Helen: It’s perfect.
Caroline: Okay. I’m gonna describe.
Helen: Yes, please. Sorry, I’m gonna keep watching you. Describe.
Caroline: Okay, so I went with the Arlo Vest, and this is from Patterns by Liliya. I’ve always loved this pattern. I’ve loved it since I first saw it. The designer uses a lot of our fabrics and I think our linens pair really well with vests. So as soon as I saw this, I was like, “I need to use this pattern.” It’s a modern take on a fully lined vest. It can go more formal. It can go more everyday, which I really love. It has a row of tiny buttons, a high crew neckline, optional faux welt pockets. There’s fish eye darts in the back. It has this, like, beautiful curved hem that opens up at the waist level. Styling-wise, I even left like the bottom button undone, which I think was really cute. All of these details combined create the most effortless French girl look. This is straight from the designer’s description, by the way.
Helen: Oh, great. I was like, “Wow, this is incredible.”
Caroline: And this project is entirely serger-free, which I enjoyed, for sure. And there’s only one view. I just made the one view, which, I can get behind a one-view pattern when it’s, like, a very styled, like, it’s like, the vision is this, you know?
Helen: A vision. Yeah. Yeah. Mmhmm.
Caroline: And it is fully lined. And yeah, I just chose this pattern because as soon as we said we wanted to do an episode about vests, I just couldn’t get it outta my head. So it was pretty clear from the beginning that this is the one.
Helen: It’s so cute. Okay. Tell them about the fabric and the colour.
Caroline: I went with the Washed Linen in Oatmeal. So it’s about five ounces, a hundred percent linen. This is a fabric we carry all the time at Blackbird. I love this fabric. Actually, the designer recommends this specific fabric in her booklet. So I love the look of her samples. I knew, like, it would be a win to go with this fabric. I think her, like, cover image with the pattern is out of this exact fabric. So I really kind of just wanted to replicate the look on her cover ’cause I loved it so much. I will say, like, I kind of struggled with fabric choice because part of me wanted to go more adventurous. I was like, “Maybe I’ll do a bright colour and maybe I’ll do some kind of, like, texture or pattern,” but I just couldn’t picture, like, something that was too out there, like, styling into my everyday wardrobe as a vest because, like, the vest itself is the statement, in a way. I could only really picture, like, a neutral color or denim, but I decided not to go with denim. So I was like, “You know what, I’m just gonna go with my gut and go really neutral. Really classic.” So it’s just, like, a light kind of oatmeal colour of linen.
Helen: Oh, I love it. I think that’s great when you’re trying out a trend, too. We talked about that in our skorts episode. Like, if you’re not sure if the trend is for you, go for a more neutral fabric so that it has more chance of getting worn more often in your wardrobe, and you can actually give it a good old try.
Caroline: A hundred percent. And then I also lined it, so the lining is Sandwashed Cotton in the colour Salt. The designer recommended lining in a cotton, like, not self fabric. But I wanted a good colour match, ’cause it’s not actually faced, it’s just, like, fully lined. Like, you just cut two of the pattern. So I was, my priority was, like, finding a cotton that was a pretty exact match. That’s why I went with the Sandwashed Cotton in Salt, and it worked out overall. And then the little buttons that I used are these, like, little mushroom-coloured buttons. They have, like, a little sheen to them and they’re really lovely. They feel really high-end. They’re deadstock from one of our local designers that we picked up a bunch of deadstock from. And we just, like, stash all these buttons to use around the office. So yeah.
Helen: Cute! Those look great. I really love the back tie and the way that it’s, like, optionally cinch-able to your, you know, desired fit. And when you cinch it up, it really gives you that hourglass, like, boom, boom, boom kind of shape. Yeah.
Caroline: I like that too. Yeah, I definitely like it, like, a little bit tighter in the tie. ‘Cause it does, it kind of, like, almost accentuates the, like, flutey-ness at the bottom and that little, like, peek of skin where, like, I left the button undone. I feel like it, it looks really, really, really cute.
Helen: Yeah, it’s so freaking cute. Okay. And there are welt pockets. So tell us about the welt pockets.
Caroline: Okay. I, okay, so, well, I really hemmed and hawed about the faux welt pockets, I’m gonna say, because it’s one of my least favourite things to sew. Like, welt pockets, they’re not a good time for me, personally. And I was like, “It’s so silly to do a non-functional welt pocket.” I’m like, “If I’m gonna go through the trouble of sewing a welt and, like, cutting into my fabric and risking all the things that could go wrong with a welt pocket, why would I not have a real functional pocket from that?” But I kind of wanted to stay true to, like, the designer’s vision. And I also, like, I get why it’s not functional, because it’s such a sleek look that, like, if I’m not gonna be like putting stuff in my pockets, really, unless it’s just like a single credit card or something, right? Like, I’m not putting my, like, giant brick of an iPhone, like, in my pocket, in this vest pocket. So like, and it would just look bulky if I filled the pocket, so I get it. I really had to convince myself to do it. Like, it felt silly. I was like, “Am I really gonna do these welt pockets? Like, they’re so much work. It’s so stressful. What if they mess up and it’s not even worth it? ‘Cause they’re not real pockets.” But I came around and I’m glad I did ’cause I do think it adds to the look. I ended up looking at, like, a lot of tester photos and some did welt pockets and some didn’t. And I just preferred the look of the welt pocket in the end, so I went for it for, for the vibes. For the look.
Helen: Yeah. It adds a little something. ‘Cause you do have these, like, big tulip petal shapes hanging down onto the hip area and then the welt pocket sitting just on those. It looks really good. Like, it, it makes sense visually. So I think it, you were very brave and I’m proud of you.
Caroline: Thank you. They did turn out well. They did. Like, they turned out welt. No, I’m kidding. They turned out really well. And like, I didn’t mess anything up, so that was a win, you know? In the end, it always feels like a win when a welt pocket looks good after you finish.
Helen: Yeah. I mean there’s also like, what, 20 buttonholes on this? That is an undertaking, too.
Caroline: 10 buttonholes. Yeah. Which was an undertaking. And my machine was not cooperating. It turned out it’s ’cause I needed to change the needle. But the, the Pfaff that I have, that you also have, I don’t remember what the name of the model is.
Helen: It’s an Expression 710.
Caroline: Thank you. It’s excellent at buttonholes. I always switch to my Pfaff for buttonholes ’cause my Bernina can be, like, a little bit tricky with buttonholes. And this was the first time it was giving me grief and I was, like, so frustrated. And then I was just like, “Okay. Reset, change the needle, rethread, like, do all the things.” And then it started working. So I think it was the needle.
Helen: Yeah. I mean, that’s always, you know, when in doubt: reset, change the needle, and try again. But it’s so frustrating when you’re on buttons ’cause they’re such a pain in the ass to unpick if it goes awry, so.
Caroline: Oh, totally. Yeah.
Helen: Right on the front.
Caroline: Luckily, I was only messing up on my tester. Like, I had swatches that I was testing on first, thank goodness. ‘Cause yeah, unpicking on linen, too. That would’ve been tough. I also did these buttonholes at 11:30 pm, so I didn’t…
Helen: Wait, last night? Or?
Caroline: No, not last night, but I was, like, so close to being done. I wanted to finish and I was like, “I’m just gonna do them.” And I looked at my watch and I was like, “Okay, it’s not midnight yet. I can still do buttonholes.”
Helen: No, it’s no buttonholes after 10:00 pm; don’t you know?
Caroline: I am sorry. My personal rule is midnight. My personal rule is midnight. I’m a night owl.
Helen: That’s fair. Okay. I wanna know if you muslin-ed this vest or did you just go for it?
Caroline: I did, Helen. Did I ever.
Helen: Oh my gosh.
Caroline: Honestly, okay, going into this, I knew I wanted to make a muslin because the pattern didn’t include bust darts and the designer recommended, like, if you have a high bust-to-bust ratio, you should do a full bust adjustment. I actually ended up making two muslins. Are you proud of me?
Helen: Wow. I am. That’s amazing. I love it.
Caroline: Yeah, it did require a good amount of fitting for my body. I started off grading from a 20 in the bust to a 22 hip, and then I did a one inch full bust adjustment based on my measurements. But then I ended up increasing it to a two inch full bust adjustment after my first muslin because of, I was still feeling a little bit tight and I wanted it to be, like, a little bit more relaxed. But I also made adjustments to the shoulder slope. I tend to have, like, more sloped shoulders, so often I have to take a little wedge out on, like, the outside corner of a shoulder seam. Same thing with the underarm seam. I took a little wedge out because my underarms tend to gape on me. And I adjusted the overlap around the neckline. There was, like, excess fabric that needed to be taken out because it comes up so high. Like, everybody’s proportions and distribution are so different, right? So, just the way it was sitting on me, there was just, like, extra fabric around the neck. So I kind of just changed the balance a little bit, of the pattern, if that makes sense. And then I brought in the shoulder a little bit ’cause it was feeling a bit wide. So I did make a lot of adjustments. But I don’t know, like, that doesn’t really bother me. I’m really happy I made a muslin. I also took videos of all of them, so maybe I’ll put together a reel showing, like, how I put it on and pinched out areas and figured out what adjustments I needed to make. And in the end, I think I got, like, a pretty good fit. I’m really happy with it. Like, especially around the bust. I think adding the dart was totally the move. It’s just worth it. Like, it took me a few extra hours. Like, obviously I didn’t wanna make two muslins but, like, I knew it was necessary to get, like, a garment in the end that I was gonna really love and wanna wear. So it was worth it.
Helen: Do you find that, like, you don’t want to make the muslins, but then when you’re actually in the process of muslin-ing and thinking about adjustments it’s, like, kind of fun? Like, do you enjoy assessing fit and stuff?
Caroline: The fun thing about fitting, I think, is when you get the end result that you’re going for, right?
Helen: Right. The payoff.
Caroline: Like, it’s like, and the process is fun. I do sometimes wish I had, like, a sewing friend that could, like, help me pinch out. Sometimes I’ll bring projects into work and get, like, a coworker to, like, pin it for me ’cause it’s, like, kind of hard to do it on yourself, right? But I just ended up kind of, like, eyeballing it, going over to my machine, like, sewing and, like, you know, if I needed to take it in somewhere, taking it in, trying it on again, seeing if that was enough, and then adjusting the pattern. So it worked out. And I do think it’s fun, like, especially when you have a little bit more experience under your belt and you sort of, like, know, you can pinpoint, like, “Oh, this is a common adjustment for me. I know exactly how to do it.” Bing, bang, boom. And it worked. And then that feels like a total success, right? I could see it being frustrated if you don’t know what to do and you don’t know how to fix something and, like, maybe you’ve tried and it’s not working. That can be hard.
Helen: Yeah. totally. I mean, I, I think I said this a little bit at the beginning of the show, but I do think that vests are a good place to practice fitting because there’s often lots of seams to adjust and, yeah, you can easily adjust shoulder and underarm without worrying about a sleeve. The pieces are pretty small, typically, for vests, so you don’t have to worry about using a ton of fabric to make your muslin or multiple muslins if you need to. And they’re typically made out of structured fabrics like cotton, denim, suiting. So like, it’s a relatively approachable project, even though you’re trying to get, like, a tailored fit some of the times, with vests. It is doable and it’s a nice one to practice on.
Caroline: Yeah, and I did my first muslin, I made it out of, like, the muslin fabric, just that, like, stiff kind of cotton. And then the second go around, I decided to use some linen that I had in my stash because I was like, I really wanna make sure I’m capturing, like, the drape of the vest when I’m making these adjustments. ‘Cause sometimes in a muslin it feels like the problems feel more dramatic than they would in…
Helen: Yeah. It’s so true.
Caroline: In a more, I don’t know, like, wearable fabric.
Helen: Yeah. Oh, a hundred percent. It’s like wearing cardboard sometimes, like…
Caroline: It really is. It’s like you’re wearing paper.
Helen: Yeah, yeah.
Caroline: Yeah. So, just, nothing looks good in muslin. Let’s be honest.
Helen: No, no, it’s so true. Especially like jackets and stuff; they tend to look like lab coats or…
Caroline: Yeah.
Helen: Yeah. It’s hard to envision sometimes, but you do get better at it with time.
Caroline: Yeah. You didn’t make any fitting adjustments, but what was your, like, sewing experience like? Did it take a long time to make this pattern?
Helen: No, and I loved how small the pieces were because then I could cut it out. Like, this was actually just some leftover denim that I had from another project. I had about a meter left and I was able to squeeze it out. You can always, like, cut the facings out of a different fabric. I did the binding out of a different fabric. But the exterior pieces, because we’ve got princess seams, they’re actually pretty narrow and relatively small, so you can kind of squeeze them and tetris them in on a small piece of fabric. So that was really great. And I already have some other remnants and little bits left in my studio that I’m excited about playing around with, making more vests out of. But yeah, it was good. I mean, princess seams, especially when you’re doing the larger bust, I did the D Cup one, and you know that curve is pretty curvy. So that can be kind of hard. It’s like sewing a sleeve, where you’re putting those two contrasting curves together and, like, trying to get them to work. And I do like to kind of pre-clip into my seams when I’m doing curves like that. Like, I’ll clip ahead of time and then pin it all together and sew it so that the fabric can spread out before, or as, you’re sewing it instead of just clipping after. I find that can be really helpful. And then I use my tailor’s ham, which is really awesome for princess seams. It makes such a big difference to be able to press over a tailor’s ham to get that beautiful curve. ‘Cause when you put it on your body, you want it to be, like, curving perfectly over the bust immediately.
Caroline: Mmhmm. How was the finishing on the inside? I always wonder with, like, unlined garments, when you’re clipping into princess seams, are you ending up with some, like, raw edges on the inside of the garment? That’s kind of, you can’t really help it. Right?
Helen: Yeah. I try not to clip too close to the actual seam line. Like, I’ll leave a good, you know, at least an eighth of an inch, usually more. And then when I go to serge that seam, after it’s finally sewn and I’m happy with it, I’ll serge really close to my stitching line, like, get right up on the stitching line and then press it to one side.
Caroline: So you were trimming while you were serging?
Helen: I was.
Caroline: Just checking.
Helen: I totally was. I love to trim, I think in this case, because most of the seams on this vest are curved in some way or another. Like, the waist seams are curved, the side seams, the back seam is also curved, so it makes sense to do that serging close to the seams so that when you do press it to the one side and top stitch it down. She has you edge stitch all the seams, which also helps everything to lie flat and look really nice and neat. It just feels neater to me when there’s not, like, a big seam allowance flopping around in there.
Caroline: That’s a good point. Like, the edge stitching sort of locks everything in a little bit better, so you’re not as worried about, like, frayed clippings sort of, like, flopping around in there.
Helen: Exactly.
Caroline: It’s all sort of, like, tied down.
Helen: Very tied down. And I used a really good matching colour on my serger thread, so you can’t even really see the seam lines. And I love an unlined garment. Anytime I can get away with not doing a lining, I’m here for it.
Caroline: Yeah. Yeah.
Helen: The denim was a little heavy for the back tie. I found stitching around the little back tie a little tricky with that heavy denim. But I had to switch to my, like, denim needle and, like, just be careful and go slow and get through it, but…
Caroline: There’s a little buckle right in the back of this one. It has, like, a little D ring?
Helen: Yeah. There’s, like, a little slider buckle. Yeah. And you could leave off the whole strap and buckle situation if you didn’t want to do it or you didn’t have the notion. But yeah, you need that little slider buckle piece if you wanna do that.
Caroline: It does kind of add to the vest look, to me. Like, that slider buckle thing makes it look so much more like a classic vest. I think it really works with your look.
Helen: Yeah, I think so, too. I really like the back buckle and then the buttons, too. I did, like, cream thread for my buttonholes, which I think makes it stand out just a little bit. And then I did cream buttons. I can’t remember. They were from Blackbird a while ago. They’re kinda, like, terrazzo-y speckled buttons that are really pretty. And I’ve had them for a while, so.
Caroline: Oh wait. And one thing I noticed too on yours is that you did horizontal buttonholes. My pattern has vertical buttonholes.
Helen: Oh.
Caroline: Yeah. And I feel like it’s probably to do with the number of buttons, like, I feel like. Like, and the size of them.
Helen: The size, yeah.
Caroline: The size of the buttons that I’m using are, like, almost like shirt buttons. Whereas the size that you’re using are more like a jacket or vest buttons.
Helen: I think they’re like five eighths of an inch. Or almost three quarters. Yeah. Yeah. And I think you could go either way for either vest if you have a personal preference. But I think the horizontal buttonholes do kind of give it more of an outerwear look, more of a jacket look.
Caroline: Yeah, it works really well with your vest pattern, for sure.
Helen: When you’re doing horizontal buttonholes, you have to really make sure when you place your button that you’re taking into consideration the fact that everything’s gonna slide over and where the button’s actually gonna sit in relation to the buttonhole. Because, of course, your body’s gonna, like, spread it open as much as it can go, and then the button sits right on the inside, which actually looks really cool, but you just have to keep it in mind when you’re placing everything.
Caroline: For sure.
Helen: How about you? How was your sewing experience overall with your vest?
Caroline: It was good. I mean, once I got past the fitting of it all, it went well. I had a couple of, like, little I don’t know, things that went awry. Like, at one point I had finished sewing all my darts on all my pieces, and then I noticed that one of my front pieces had, like, stains on it. Like, I don’t know if it was originally on the fabric or something in my sewing room stained it, but they almost looked like little oil stains, like, in a couple of spots. And I didn’t have any more fabric. And I was kind of like, okay, either I risk it, I’m gonna wash this afterwards and the stain comes out, or I have to, like, go get more fabric, pre-wash more fabric, dah, dah, dah. So I just went for it, which is, like, that’s very much my sewing personality is. I’m like, “I’ll figure it out. It’ll come out in the wash.” And it did. So it was fine. I did wash it. And I do think giving the garment a final wash after you finished sewing it…like, I think, I feel like you did that too, right? Yours look like you washed it. It just makes everything look a little bit more finished, so.
Helen: Yeah. It all settles. Yeah, I know. I love a wash and I give that advice to people, too. And you know, I get tagged in makes on Instagram and people are like, “Oh, I’m not sure how I feel about it. Like, I thought I would love it, but I’m, like, you know, 50-50 on it.” And then I’m always like, “I think it looks great. Wash it.” It needs to be washed, because then everything settles into place. You start to see those beautiful textures on all the seams and it just fits better. Like, everything kinda shrinks up and, like, hugs your body a little bit more and it usually makes a big difference.
Caroline: It’s so true. And I mean, definitely always pre-wash your fabric, because after you wash it, if you haven’t pre-washed it, things could get messed up. They could shrink at different rates if you’re using different fabrics for lining and outer fabrics. So always pre-wash, but then washing after you finish your garment is, is a good call, too. I agree.
Helen: Yeah, it really helps.
Caroline: The other little challenge, which I, I think is fine. Like, it was nothing, really. It ended up being fine. Okay. But I did use, like, a pink chalk pen when I was, like, marking all my darts. And I knew, like, I was like, “I know I’m gonna need to wash this in the washing machine after, to get it out.” And it did come out. But the buttonholes, this is like a PSA, okay. If you’re marking your buttonholes with chalk, like a contrasting chalk, then you sew your buttonhole on top of the chalk marking, the chalk sort of, like, gets into the stitching.
Helen: The thread. Yeah.
Caroline: Right. And it doesn’t quite all come out. And it’s silly because, as I was doing it, I was like, “Hmm, this might not be a good idea.” Like I, I feel like I might end up with some slightly pink buttonholes. And, like, sure enough, I did. And I don’t think it’s noticeable. Like, you probably didn’t notice it in the video I sent. And I think the more I washed it, the more it’ll come out. I could probably also hit it with, like, a stain remover and it’ll probably completely come out. So it’s, like, not a disaster, but I don’t know, I think I should have just marked my buttonhole placement with pins or maybe white chalk. Like, something that was less of a contrast. I definitely could have done things a little bit differently to avoid that from happening, but I did what I did.
Helen: I mean, fair enough. I’ve definitely done that and had my buttonholes be, like, a little bit tinged, but then the button covers it, too, so you don’t really see it.
Caroline: Yeah, exactly. The button covers it. I really don’t think it’s very noticeable. Now people are gonna go zoom in, probably, and see if they can find it, which is fine. Please, you’re welcome to.
Helen: See if you can find it. I have a little sewing question for you. Like, “do you do this or that” question. When you’re doing a binding, ’cause my arm holes are finished with a binding, like a bias facing, which is flipped to the inside. Do you do the step where you trim down the seam before you, like flip it all inside and then stitch it down? You know, like, you sew the binding on and then you’re supposed to grade all the way around to, like, make it easier to flip it all over. I love skipping that step.
Caroline: Mmhmm.
Helen: And trying to get away with folding the bias, like, over the chunky seam. And, like, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s usually better to trim but, like, there’s a rebel in me that just never wants to do that part.
Caroline: I, okay. If it’s a chunkier fabric, I’ll usually trim because I think it can be bulky and, like, maybe even uncomfortable or, like, the seam will look, like, fat, almost. Like it’ll look too bulky. But with lighter fabrics, if I can get away with it, I don’t. Also, because of fraying, ’cause I’ve had situations where I’ve trimmed too close or clipped too close. And even if you think it’s not too close, after a few washes, the fabric unravels a little bit and then you end up with, like, little holes along your bias binding. So if I can get away with it with, like, a lightweight linen, a viscose, even, like, a lightweight, really lightweight cotton, I will not, I will not grade. Or I will, like, clip as few spots as I possibly can. Like, it kind of depends if the fabric too is, like, malleable enough. Like, sometimes, if the seam allowance is small enough and the fabric can sort of stretch and mold, then you don’t really need to clip and trim and grade and all that stuff. I usually will, like, try it out with my fingers and see, like, how it all looks and then decide.
Helen: How it feels. Yeah. Yeah. ‘Cause sometimes you’ll fold it over and it just,like, fits, like, snug, like a glove. And that’s really satisfying. Yeah. But you’re right. It, it will lie flatter if you trim or at least clip a few little notches in around the curves. ‘Cause if you don’t do that, then sometimes you get, like, that underarm that’s like sticking out at an angle.
Caroline: Yes.
Helen: Yeah.
Caroline: Oh my gosh.
Helen: Okay. Caroline, I have a surprise for you.
Caroline: Oh, what’s that?
Helen: I made a second vest.
Caroline: No. Helen! Wait…
Helen: I’m sending it to you now.
Caroline: Oh my God, you overachiever.
Helen: I really went for it with this vest, Caroline.
Caroline: I can’t believe you made a second vest. And you saved this information until now? Okay.
Helen: I thought it would be fun.
Caroline: You sneaky girl. Oh my God. Okay. I’m, wait, I can see it’s sending.
Helen: I am so excited to show you this vest.
Caroline: Wait. Is it the same pattern?
Helen: Yeah, it’s the exact same pattern, for the listeners. Exact same everything. It’s just the fabric choice is different.
Caroline: Ahh! Oh my God, this is so…Helen. Wait, hold on.
Helen: You gotta watch the whole thing.
Caroline: Oh my gosh. Wait, is this Sandwashed Cotton?
Helen: It is the softened seven ounce cotton.
Caroline: Oh, okay. Yeah, that’s like the heavy…oh my gosh. The back. Wait, Helen, it looks so good!
Helen: Thank you.
Caroline: You little silly girl.
Helen: This is one of the favourite things I’ve ever made. I love it so much.
Caroline: It’s so cool. Wait, describe it for everyone.
Helen: Okay, so I used a seven ounce Softened Cotton from Blackbird, and I used two colours. These were both left over. One was from Ukee Shorts and one was from our Lazo Jumpsuit. And it’s the kind of, like, sagey purple or…sagey purple. How would you describe, it’s like, lavender-y.
Caroline: Yeah. It’s like a dusty purple.
Helen: Dusty purple. Yes, exactly. And then like an aqua-y dark blue. And I alternated because as soon as I made this vest, I got to thinking about colourblocking and how there’s exactly eight panels on the vest. So you could go, like, you could alternate colours all the way around and have this cool, like, alternating effect. And I really wanted to try it. And then as I was, like, conceptualizing the project, I was like, “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was some kind of quilted detail on the back where you alternate it again, the colours?” So it’s kind of hard to describe. You’ll have to go and check it out. We’ll make sure it’s up on both Helen’s Closet and the Love to Sew show notes. But yeah, I alternated all the way around, so it’s, like, vertically striped colour blocked all the way around the vest. And then on the back there’s a sawtooth star that’s also alternated, and I alternated the strap and I alternated the buttonhole colours. It’s a lot. It’s kind of, like, Harley Quinn jester-esque.
Caroline: Does the quilt block match your tattoo? I’m trying to see. Oh, no, it’s not exactly the same.
Helen: Oh yeah, Not exactly, but it’s similar. This is a, like, classic sawtooth star and my, my quilt block tattoo is a crystal star ’cause it has a diamond in the middle.
Caroline: It’s so cute. It’s so cute. I love it. I love it. What a fun surprise. Oh my gosh, I really wasn’t expecting that.
Helen: I knew it would be fun to reveal it to you. I’m sending you a couple, just, still images…
Caroline: It looks so good. Oh, yeah.
Helen: ‘Cause yeah, I did end up lining the inside of this one. But just the back panel, like the center back piece I lined with, like, a really lightweight cotton lawn because I didn’t wanna have to serge all of the edges on the piecing that I did and wanted to kind of tuck away all the inside edges of all that piecing nicely. So I just did, like, an underlining on that back piece. And that worked really well, so.
Caroline: Okay. Well, one of my questions was gonna be like, “Are you gonna make another vest? Are you gonna make this pattern again?” And now we’ve answered that question.
Helen: I still wanna make more. I, like I said, I really wanna make the longer view of this vest pattern in dark denim with gold stitching. That’s, like, dream project on my brain right now. How about you? Are you excited about vests?
Caroline: I really wanna make this pattern again now that I’ve put in all the work to get it to fit me really well. And I can’t stop thinking about, like, a darker, chocolatey brown version in a linen. I think that would pair really well with a lot of my clothes. So, yeah, I think I’m gonna make it again. I think I would lengthen it a touch for, like, styling purposes, I wanna have, like, more buttons undone. Like, I think the undone button at the bottom looks cool, but I couldn’t add more buttons the way that the curve was, so I want it to be, like, an inch longer so I can add, like, two more buttons. But for them to be undone, this is, like, such a…
Helen: I mean, you could put the buttons on the curved part and then, like, knowing that you’re not gonna button them.
Caroline: I could, yeah. True. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I think, I think, just, I think I probably could have lengthened it to begin with ‘Cause I’m taller than the draft. I’m, like, a few inches taller than the draft. So, but yes, I do wanna make it again. I think it’s really cute. I think I’m gonna wear a ton this fall. I really wanna try styling it with, like, a blazer over top. I think that would be really cute. But yeah, I’m, like, dying, I’m dying to wear it. So I’m excited.
Helen: Do you have any desire to make a coordinating set with, like, a pair of pants or something that matches?
Caroline: I do think it would be really cute with a pair of pants, like a Taylor Trouser in linen or something. Or even like a short, like a pair of shorts, I think, would be really cute for summer. Yeah. I do have that desire. Will I get to it? I don’t know, but the desire is there.
Helen: I wore my denim vest ’cause I finished it way back in August. And I wore it in the summer as a top and I loved wearing it as a top in the summer. It was so nice. And then knowing that I was gonna layer it in the fall, too, I was really excited about that, those possibilities and styling it. I think it looks so cute with boots and a skirt and, I don’t know, you can really lean into different stylings with the vest. It can go so many different ways.
Caroline: Yeah. I think, like, your denim version could be styled a million different ways. I’m so curious how you’re gonna style the other one ’cause it’s such a statement. No, and, and I…
Helen: No, it is. It’s such a statement. It’s…
Caroline: It’s such a statement. I think it would look really cool with jeans or, like, solid, like a solid bottom. But yeah, I wanna, I’m excited to see how you style it. I wanna see.
Helen: Yeah, I know. I’ll have to film a, a reel for our Instagram this week, and I’ll maybe play around with styling in the reel. That would be fun because I do think it’s such a statement piece. It’s borderline costumey. Like, it does kind of need to be paired with something that’s a little bit more low-key. Although I will say that the first thing I tried it with was my patchwork June Pants that I made that it’s, like, all these different patches and different fabrics, because those are, like, my hippie pants. And when I finished the vest I was like, “This is kind of, like, a hippie vest.” And so I was like, “What if I put them together and I fully look like I should have, you know, dreadlocks and I should be, like, spinning those, like, fireball things around in the park” And like, like it was such a vibe, but I loved it. I mean, why not? Right? Sometimes you might wanna wear that to a music festival or something.
Caroline: I was gonna say, like, if you pair it with, like, a full skirt and, like, a puffy blouse, like, you’re ready for renn faire. Like, it’s like, you know what I mean? But it could also be really cool if you style it with more of, like, an understated bottom. Like, I don’t know. I feel like there, there’s, you can, you can style it up and make it a lot of different things. But maybe the other one’s a little bit more versatile.
Helen: Definitely. That’s why I started with that. I do enjoy a versatile piece as well, but you know I love a quilted detail.
Caroline: Did you immediately make a second vest? Like, when did this happen? Because it has, I feel like you finished your first vest a while ago.
Helen: Yeah, I did. I, there was, like, a good month in between the vests. But I did, immediately after finishing the denim one, like, conceptualize this next one. And I set aside the fabric and I was like, “I’m gonna do that at some point, later.” I didn’t think I was gonna get into it in time for the episode, so I’m glad I finally finished it. But yeah, it was really fun to sew and I’m just excited about vests in general, I feel like. I’ve never had vests in my wardrobe as, like, an everyday piece, and I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve been missing out.
Caroline: Yeah. No, I definitely, I’m a vest convert. I, I can’t wait to make more vests, style ’em. It’s gonna be great.
Helen: It’s gonna be great. We want you to try vests, too, and please tag us if you do try a vest because you were thinking about it from this episode. We’d love to see your vests. Tag us on social and we’ll reshare.
Caroline: Yes. Share your vests with us! And we’re gonna be sharing our vests with you over on socials, so go check them out and give them some love. And I can’t wait to do this again with you, Helen. We have two more episodes like this planned, just so everyone knows. You can look forward to two more We Sew episodes. And they’re fun.
Helen: They’re so fun. I cannot wait. I had so much fun chatting about sewing today. You’re the vest, Caroline.
Caroline: No, you are the vest.
Helen: No, you are the vest! That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Helen, at Helen Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co. and Caroline at Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns. We’re recording today in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.
Caroline: You can support Love to Sew and get access to bonus content by subscribing on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. You even get access to the back catalog of bonus episodes. That’s over 75 hours of Love to Sew. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew or check out our podcast page on Apple Podcasts for more info.
Helen: Head to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures of our vests from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, you can leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428. Or send us an email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.
Caroline: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant and Jordan Moore of The Pod Cabin is our editor. And thank you for listening. We’ll talk to you next week.
Helen: Bye! You’re the vest!
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Really love the Quinn Vest. It looks so flattering on you.
I’ve really wanted a vest FOREVER!
I might get this pattern – it doesn’t look too high at the back neck, which I always have an issue with whenever I’ve tried a ready made on.
The price of the vest is affordable as well.
I hope the pattern instructions are as good as Helen’s Closet patterns! 🙂
I bought a vest pattern last year to make for a wedding outfit, but when I made the muslin (really glad I did), it was HUGE! I don’t know what happened, but I could have got 2 of me in the vest… so I have fabric ready to make a Quinn vest 🙂
Hi, Suze! Thank you so much for the sweet compliments. I hope you love sewing up the Quinn Vest – I want to make another one! I definitely recommend the pattern. Happy Sewing!