I had so much fun making this vest/dress for the second time. The first time I made it was to test the pattern with a "muslin". But it was red upholstery fabric which was far too heavy. It was a wadder, literally. I took the buttons off of it and threw it in the garbage! Enough of that!
This time it worked. I got the fabric at Hart's in Santa Cruz a year ago. Yes, it's a coat weight and would have been easier to make in a lighter weight fabric but I'm happy with the results.
I think the structure shows a lot in this type of fabric. But it would also be good in a dupioni silk or maybe even denim? Or how about a black organza for evening??
I tried to use a zipper instead of buttons but it just didn't look as good as I'd hoped. When I make this again I'll redraft the upper/center chest area at the collar. It was a bit too large and I had to move the top button over to make it work. So, I used a loop closure which seemed to make more sense. Next time, when it fits better, a zipper will work and look great.
This is a fun pattern, keep it in mind. I'm off to Design Outside The Lines (DOL) in Santa Barbara with Diane Ericson and her guest teacher, Jilli Blackwood. Excited! Love this sewing design retreat every year.
