Matching Vest!

Rarely one to sit on my laurels after a sewing success, the triumph that took the form of yesterday's pants was swiftly followed by attempting a matching vest.

As with the pants, I took my favourite existing vest and traced it to make the pattern. The vest style I copied is quite a traditional one, with two 'points' at the front. Next I overlocked the side seams together. Then using the same underwear elastic with the satin edge that I used for the pants, I applied it from the tip of one of the points, along the back and up to the tip of the second point. I wanted the elastic to sit on the outside of the garment's edge, so I placed the elastic face down with the satin edge towards the right, and placed the fabric face down on top of the elastic and used a three-stage zigzag stitch on my normal flatlock sewing machine, using the same method as I used for the waistband of the pants I made yesterday. As I sewed them together, I gently pulled on the elastic so that the vest would have a snug fit.

Next I measured the straps of my existing vest, which came out at 32cms. So I added 2cms as seam allowance (and to possibly let out if my calculation proved too tight), marked that from the end of the elastic. That mark showed where I needed to position the tip of the point of the fabric and begin to sew the remaining section of vest edge between the points, using the same technique as I had just used when attaching the elastic around the back. When I reached the tip of the second point, I back stitched to secure the thread, then measured another 34cms of elastic before cutting it.

I then measured on my existing vest how far from the side seam the straps were positioned on the back, and stitched the loose ends of elastic accordingly. All that was left to do then was to hem the bottom of the vest, which I did with more contrast three-stage zigzag stitching. I've really found the three-stage zigzag to be more secure and have more stretch than the normal zigzag that I've previously been using with stretch fabric.

I really hope that yesterday's and today's explanations haven't confused or even put off anyone who was thinking about making their own undies. I really recommend you give it a go, once you get the technique down, they are so gratifyingly quick to churn out. They are quite a few tutorials and posts on the internet to offer advice or alternative methods, check some of them out and find a method that will suit you. This is by no means the end of my undies making quest, stay tuned for more including different methods than the ones I have posted about so far....