Nautical Knit Vest: Simplicity 2603 (modified)

I am falling in love with stripes.    I told myself I'd never wear horizontal stripes again, but I am breaking that promise to myself.  On Saturday (it only took me 4hrs!...I'm very slow) I made a cardi/vest using Simplicity 2603.  I've made 3 cardi/wraps using this pattern.  One for me, 2 for my mom. I will post pictures eventually.  Its really a great pattern.  A little tricky in some places (mainly attaching the front to the back at the shoulders/neck.

My vest was inspired by my friend's cardi/vest.  She was wearing it the last time I saw her and I thought, "Cute! I can make that!" I also have been seeing stripes all over the blogland, (SharonSews and A Sewn Wardrobe are just two) and I really wanted to jump on the bandwagon.  I originally wanted to find a stripe for a boat neck knit shirt, but I hadn't been able to find anything I like.  Last weekend I went to Hancock to look and they only had one stripe mystery sweater knit in the value section for $4.00/yd ($2.00/yd with coupon!).  It was rather shear, very drapey, and extremely unstable, but I thought, "What the hell! Let's give it a try!" And it was only 33" wide...Weird, I know.  I immediately thought of a cardi/vest when I saw the fabric and bought 4 yds thinking I could make 2 items from it.

So basically I took the pattern, chopped off a good deal off the front drapey section (I can take pictures if someone wants to see what I did, but I forgot to document the process.  Just ask).   I also scooped out the armsyce a bit because it was going to be sleeveless.  Additionally I used Amanda's  tutorial on adding bias tape to the arm holes to finish the seams.  The tutorial was really good, but the armholes stretched like crazy.  I just re-serged part of the side-seams closing up the armholes a little more.



 I am really happy with the finished project.  Because the vest is very Forever 21, I didn't bother finishing any of the edges.  Just left them raw.

I think I'll right a review on PR later.  I could write 4 now.


Thanks Nancy for becoming my newest Follower1 The last two dresses she has made are awesome!  Check out her strapless dress. I can't wait to be able to make a dress like that one day with all that structure built in to it.