I sewed a quick and fun vest from a vintage pattern while staying at a youth hockey tournament hotel. I brought my travel machine, sewed the vest and wore it the next day! I also showcase an envelope clutch purse I sewed some years back (perfect colors for this vest and outfit).
I started bringing my sewing machine to youth hockey tournaments several years ago, but lately I’ve begun doing it more often because I’m using my former kids’ Janome Sew Mini machine (which works just fine, if a little noisy and plasticky). The machine is small, lightweight and fun. Earlier this year, I stumbled across a reel from a creator out of Tampa, The Lone Daffodil, as she took her (very similar, Singer brand) portable machine in a zippered pillow cover in her suitcase to Lisbon, Portugal and sewed on her tiny balcony.
While a youth hockey hotel in suburban midwestern cities is NOT Lisbon, I hope it inspires you to sew wherever and whenever you want to! The tiny machine is light and easy to stash in my rolling bag, but if you’re driving, any machine you usually use will work fine (provided it’s not in a cabinet.)
This vest is Butterick 6013 (vintage) featuring a vest, tee shirt, midi skirt, tee shirt dress and wide leg pants – all loose and oversized 1990s looks (that’s when I bought this pattern.) I shortened it about 5″ to high hip on me, and I originally cut an 18 but sized down later to a 14 because Butterick, McCalls, et al tend to run large for most people. If you use your measurements to select a size, which is how you should do it you should double check the finished tissue pattern measurements by taking your tape measure to the tissue pieces (subtract seam allowances and hem allowances) to see how much ease you will have. I added ties to the front instead of letting the vest remain loose as per the pattern envelope.
I sewed this different than the instructions, as I wanted it to be self lined. The construction order is this:
- Sew shoulder seams of both outer fabric and lining
- Sew the ties on the front, lay the tie on the raw edge of the front of the vest, right sides together, with the tie extending back into the body of the vest I used three on my vest, stitch these down with a basting stitch and pin the part that is laying on the vest TO the vest so it doesn’t waggle around during this next step.
- Lay the vest pieces right sides together.
- Sew the armhole seams from the open sides to the other open sides (the armholes are flat at this point)
- Sew the bottom edge of each front, pivot, sew up the front, around the neckline, back down the other front opening and pivot to sew across the hem
- Leave the side seams completely open
- Sew the back hem of the vest straight across
- With the side seams open, reach inside from the back of the vest and pull the front of the vest forward out of the side seam of the back
- Once the vest is turned right side out you’ll have a flat vest, with all four sides open
- Fold the vest so right sides are together and pin the sideseams of the OUTER fabrics right sides together. Stitch
- As you get to the end of the sideseam, sew little onto the lining on both the underam and bottom of the vest
- Turn the vest right sides out and tuck in one side of the lining on the sideseam, folding the other lining over and overlapping the sideseam a bit. Pin down the side seam from the right side of the vest, catching the folded opening on the lining side. From the right side, stitch in the ditch to secure the lining opening
This vest will style nicely over a tee shirt and wide leg linen pants in warm weather, as well as shown here with a sweater and track pants. I got a compliment the first time I wore it out, so that’s a success!
