Fitted Vest with Zip Closure
A women's fitted, fully lined vest with a stand collar and a centre front zip. It has two zipped welt pockets on the chest, two zipped welt pockets lower down at the sides and two patch pockets with flaps.
When To Wear
- In autumn and spring over a shirt, a polo-neck or a fine sweater.
- With jeans or trousers for everyday wear and walks outdoors.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted, shaped by bust darts on the fronts and vertical darts on the back; hip length.
Collar: Two-piece stand collar, the upper stand interfaced.
Sleeves: Sleeveless; armholes finished with the lining.
Closure: Full-length zip at the centre front, with interfaced facings; front edges topstitched 0.7 cm from the edge.
Pockets: Two horizontal welt pockets with zips on the chest and two angled welt pockets with zips below them, the openings reinforced with stay tape. Two patch pockets at the hem, their outer edges caught in the side seams, under flaps topstitched 0.5 cm from the attaching seam.
Back: Centre back seam and two vertical darts.
Lining: Full lining of front and back, attached to the facings, hem and armholes and turned through an opening in the right side seam.
Level Of Difficulty
Advanced. Four zipped welt pockets, patch pockets with flaps, a centre front zip with facings, a two-piece stand collar and a full bagged lining.
Fabric Recommendations
Wool or wool blend fabrics.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (upper collar stand, front facings)
- Stay tape for the pocket openings
- 1 long zip for the centre front
- 4 zips for the pockets
- 2 buttons for the pocket flaps
Cutter's Must
From main fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- Stand Collar – 2 pieces
- Flap – 4 pieces
- Pocket – 2 pieces
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Upper Facing – 4 pieces
- Side Facing – 4 pieces
From lining fabric:
- Back – 2 pieces
- Front – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: upper Stand Collar, Center Front Facing.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse fusible interfacing to the upper Stand Collar and the Center Front Facing.
- Mark and stitch the darts on the Back. Press the darts towards the centre back. Mark and stitch the bust dart on the Front. Press the bust dart downwards.
- Fold the Upper Facing and Side Facing pieces (the welts of the chest and side pockets) in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
- Reinforce the pocket opening with fusible stay tape. On each welt, mark a guideline parallel to the fold for attaching it. Mark guidelines parallel to the pocket opening for attaching the welts. Stitch the welts along the marked lines. Cut the pocket opening, stopping 1.5 cm from the ends, and make diagonal cuts into the corners 1.5 cm from each end. Turn the welts through the opening to the wrong side and ease out the edges. Secure the pocket ends from the wrong side with a double backstitch across the base of the triangles. Insert the zip. Make the side pockets in the same way. Press the finished pockets.
- Place the Flap pieces together in pairs, right sides together, and stitch. Trim the seam allowances at the corners and turn the flaps right side out. Press the finished flaps.
- Overlock the upper edge of the Pocket. Press down the upper allowance of the Pocket and topstitch it. Overlock the other edges of the Pocket and press the allowances under along the pattern lines, leaving the side edge of the pocket unpressed (it goes into the side seam).
- Mark the pocket position and topstitch the Pocket onto the Front 0.5 cm from the pocket edge.
- Stitch the long zip to the fronts.
- Place the Center Front Facing on the right side of the Front, right sides together, pin and stitch along the front edge, working from the Front side up to the notch that marks the end of the collar seam. Stitch the lower edges of the facings to the Front exactly along the marked hemline. Trim the seam allowances at the upper and lower corners. Turn the front edges right side out and ease out the seams. Check that both front edges are the same length and topstitch along the front edge 0.7 cm from the edge.
- Stitch the lower Stand Collar to the upper Stand Collar, turn the collar right side out, trim the corners and press.
- Stitch the centre back seam and press it open. Stitch the side and shoulder seams of the vest. Press the side and shoulder seams open.
- Mark the flap position and stitch the Flap on. Turn the flap down over the seam and topstitch 0.5 cm from the seam.
- Stitch the seams of the lining pieces, leaving an opening in the right side seam.
- Sew the lower Stand Collar into the vest neckline and the upper Stand Collar into the neckline of the lining. Press open the seam allowances of the collar seams and tack them together close to the seams.
- Stitch the lining to the armholes of the front and back, right sides together. Understitch the armhole seam allowances onto the lining 0.2 cm from the seam. Stitch the lining to the free edges of the Center Front Facing and to the hem. Turn the vest right side out through the opening in the side seam. Ease out the seams and stitch the opening closed.
