SO, we've established I'm a big fan of this strappy vest top pattern from Zoe's blog, I'm sure it now comes as no surprise that I want to make loooads more with whatever fabric I have lying around.
This was my second vest top, which I made 2 years ago! (Another lifetime, literally...) I feel like I've been waiting that long for some proper summer weather, though the vest has now had multiple outings and is a firm travel-fave, fitting into suitcases, lending itself to layering and pairing up with literally any bottom half with ease.
Favourite things about this make:
* FIT - It's a simple one to get right, being only two pattern pieces, but it still feels like such a win cause it just fits SO WELL. The pattern is adaptable to pretty much any stretch fabric, whether you want a loungey team-with-jogging-bottoms-on-a-Sunday vest, or a glammy I-made-this-from-shiny-fabric-for-Friday-nights vest, I think pretty much anything is possible here. Crop it, lengthen it... make a vest dress! The pattern is so versatile
* This one also gives you the chance to build your skills and make your own binding. The instructions suggest using a fold over elastic for the trim and straps, which was a skill to learn in itself, but after ordering some orange FOE online and it arriving SO luminous that it could light up Blackpool at Christmas, I decided to cut a strip of my fabric and fold it into binding. Once you've got the piece cut and folded it pretty much behaves like elastic, but it's totally unique!
* Wardrobe staple. This vest can be teamed with pretty much anything. I'm a cardy kinda girl, and I can certify this vest pairs up perfectly with a cardy
Least favourite things:
*The fabric was SO stretchy and SO light that it dragged a bit on the overlocker, particulary in the seam allowance, does anyone know - does this mean I could do with changing the blade on my machine? Luckily I don't think you can tell at all from the outside
* The fabric is so stretchy I worry those straps will stretch out over time, but they are really easy to dettach/reattach should that be the case
* The thinness of the fabric was a concern when using the twin needle to hem the bottom, as sometimes fabrics with less integrity can bunch up and cause the thread to make a bit of a tunnel between the rows, To combat this I stitched the hem with some pattern paper on top then peeled it away (careful not to pull the stitches out of shape!). This made the rows more even and prevented any potential tunnelling.
Big thanks again to Zoe for the kick-ass parttern. I want to see you all raiding your stretch off-cuts to make your own So Zo vests ready for summer 🌴🌺🌞
x
Location: Meadowhall Road
Currently Listening to: 25th Floor, Patti Smith
* Final downside........ I had to re thread my overlocker to white to finish the make!!
