Kwik Sew 3453 – Faux Shearling Vest

My MIL gave me this fabric at Christmas time. She was planning to make a vest out of it for my SIL but got pretty frustrated with it (her machine really didn’t like it). The fabric came complete with the inspiration photo from a Lands' End catalog – Winter 2006. So, I’m only two years beyond on this trend, but that’s about right for me. Most of the RTW clothes in my closet are hand-me-downs from my fashionista sister and they are about two years old, too.

My MIL had tried to copy a different vest that my SIL had, so the front and back pieces were already cut out. I was able to selvage those pieces using Kwik Sew 3453.

This is a great pattern! It has side panels with pockets in the front seam and forward shoulder seams. The seam lines worked well with the lapped seams.

I traced off a size small and didn’t make any fitting alterations to this pattern.

I increased the seam allowances to ½” and trimmed off the seam allowances on the pieces that would be on the top. I trimmed off the hem allowance and left that raw. The armholes are also left raw. The collar pattern piece is twice as high as the finished collar. It is meant to be folded over after the zipper is inserted. I cut the pattern piece in half and left the top edge of the collar raw. The neck edge and zipper are bound with a bias strip of a green and brown woven (the same as the denim jacket lining).

I used a Microtex Sharp needle and didn’t have much trouble with this fabric. I did get a couple of skipped stitches while topstitching along the zipper where the pockets are. There are at least 6-7 layers there – more than half of them being the shearling. I did as much trimming as I could.

There is enough fabric left to make another vest and I think I will offer to do that for my SIL. Unless she isn’t interested in being two years behind the trend…