A Circle Vest for Me!

I'm heavily influenced by my sewing sistahs on Instagram!  I love what is shared with such devotion to our craft that I'm always liking and storing away others ideas for future use.  But when Melanie @itsmelaniedarling on Instagram posted this picture, I immediately left a message asking how to make my own. 

So she graciously sent me a link via email and I used the instructions to make this...

It's worn over a RTW cashmere/silk turtleneck and black denim leggings

Why did I want this vest so badly?  Because I've already made one from a pre-designed wool panel from Fabric Mart last year and I ALWAYS get compliments when I wear it.

Because it's a heavier wool it's still too warm to wear now...this is deep cold wearing material here! I really wanted a lighter one to wear now.

Construction ~ Using the instructions, which are so simple to follow, I used a double-sided wool blend purchased from Fabric Mart earlier this year...and I have a few suggestions on how to make sure this works for you.

1. When I drew my circle, I used wax chalk that fades when you iron it. That was important because I wanted mine to be reversible - I can wear it on the black side or the gray side.
2. When measuring the circle, I measured the distance out at five points ~ the bottom, then about 4" over on both sides and then 2" from either side on each end.  I made sure it was the exact same measurement (30") from all five points.
3. Then I used my curved ruler to help me get a full circle ~ all the time wishing for a compass & protractor large enough to make the circle for me!
4. I followed the instructions exactly for the armholes and back but next time will make my back a little wider (like my Fabric Mart version above) and my armholes a little smaller. Even in the original blog post her armholes are very large ~ I would probably make them 8" around.
5. I added fold over black binding to my outer edges instead of serging the edges. This way no matter which side I wear it on it's got a finished edge. The armholes were serged and I went over them twice to make the serging dense. Now I know I could have adjusted my serger to do that but honestly it was faster just serging.

It was a quick sew taking just a couple of hours on a Sunday evening. The reason it wasn't faster is because I added the binding, then added two rows of stitching to keep it flat. I wore it to work the next day and got several compliments on it. 

Melanie, I have the same pin that you used on your photo on Instagram and if you look closely at my pictures, I used it on mine too!

Patent Leather pumps, Silver Sarah Coventry pin purchased from 

eBay years ago, Judith Ripka diamonque earrings from QVC.

BTW, the other day I saw someone on the street wearing one with sleeves. Now if I could get that going on I would be in hog heaven!  There will be another one of these because this version gives you the high low hem I'm loving right now, good butt coverage and a classy way to dress up casual wear.

A few more pics ~

Conclusion ~
I know there are several (as in alot) of patterns out now featuring the waterfall front because I own a couple of them. However, I liked the challenge of making this on my own and I especially love the way the collar drapes.

There is one other change I want to make when I make another one. I need to figure out a way to attach the side front inside so that I don't have to fiddle with it during the day. Otherwise, this is so easy to wear and adds the sophistication I'm looking for in my casual wardrobe.

Lastly, I took these pictures myself, wearing the outfit as I wore it out to dinner with friends instead of how I wore it to work. It's been awhile since I've taken my own pics and this time I used the remote...no walking back and forth...which I don't mind doing when I'm taking pictures inside but I think looks a little silly when I'm outside. My condo community has a lot of walkers (baby and dogs) and joggers using the pathways so I'm a little self-conscious about walking back and forth.

I'm pretty thrilled that I got quite a few usable pictures and hopefully will get better at taking them as the winter progresses.  My daughter and the troops don't come over as much in the winter (it's a little much for some of the younger ones) so you'll see more of my fledgling photography skills in the upcoming months. The good thing is that pieces will show up on the blog faster than before. The bad thing, I haven't yet perfected taking back shots without looking like I'm doing a series of contortions!

A Parting Shot ~

...as always more later!