Spring  can be a fickle friend: Warm and sunny one minute, cloudy and damp the next. It’s hard to prepare for its meteorological vicissitudes, but I think I’ve found a good place to start!

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Last year I made a Quilted Vest that was light and padded and just right for layering, and this year I was poised to make another, but… I wanted to change the fabric (to Lanecardate’s amazing Lana Cotta Canberra, of course) and then the lining (Kiyohara’s beautiful Kokochi Double Gauze was an irresistible match), and then the batting (to a lightweight cotton). Next, fresh ideas came to me for diagonal stitch lines, pockets, snaps, and a playful asymmetrical hemline. Before I knew it, I had a whole new pattern!

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

So, please welcome this Quilted Wool Vest to the spring wardrobe mix! It is every bit as useful as its predecessor but with a whole new look. I hope we can all be friends… fickle or otherwise.! -Corinne

PS- To see an Instagram photo of this project being worn click here!

Materials

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

  • Outer Fabric: 1 (1, 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4) yards. I used Lanecardate’s Lana Cotta Canberra in color Grigio 0 (Light Gray).
  • Lining Fabric: 1 1/2 (1 1/2, 1 1/2, 1 3/4, 1 3/4) yards. I used Kiyohara’s Kokochi Double Gauze in Pink.
  • Please Note: Both Outer and Lining Fabrics used in this project are no longer available. To browse our Fabric By-the-Yard, click here!
  • Quilter’s Dream’s Natural Request Dream Batting, 100% pure cotton, crib size
  • Three 110-yard spools of Gutermann’s 100% Cotton Thread. I used color 9090.
  • 1 spool of Gutermann’s Hand Quilting Thread. I used color 4507.
  • 6 (6, 6, 7, 7) Sew-on snaps, size 4
  • A free Quilted Wool Vest Template, downloaded, printed, prepared and cut out in the appropriate size.

Recommended Tools . . .

These are enough materials to make one vest in any size.

Sizes

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Notes

  • To print the PDF template, be sure to first download the pattern and then print it. This means rather than simply clicking the link and opening the PDF in a browser window, you should click on the pattern link using the “right click” or “control click” option on your mouse or keyboard. This will give you the option to “Download the linked file.” Once the file is downloaded, it should print like a charm!
  • All machine sewing should be done with the walking foot attachment.
  • The right side of the wool is the side with the small “V” pattern (as opposed to the side with the ridges).
  • The recommended care of Lanecardate’s Lana Cotta Canberra is dry clean only.

Pattern

Cut

From both the Lining and the Outer Fabric, use the pattern pieces to pin and cut…

  • One Vest Back, on the fold
  • Two Vest Fronts

The Vest Fronts from the same fabric should be mirror images of each other. To be sure to cut them with the proper orientation, cut one with the right side of the fabric facing up and one with the wrong side of the fabric facing up, or you can fold the fabric with the right or wrong sides facing each other and cut through both layers at once.

From the Outer Fabric only, also cut . . .

  • Two Vest Pockets
  • 3 (3, 4, 4, 4) 1 5/8-inch strips from selvage to selvage. These are the Binding Strips.

The two Vest Pockets should be mirror images of each other. Cut them out as described above for the Vest Front pieces.

Prepare the Pockets

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Fold the diagonal edge of one Vest Pocket ¾ inch toward the wrong side and press (you can use the Fold Line on the pattern piece as a guide). Sew the folded edge down with a 5/8-inch seam allowance, starting before the fold at the adjacent straight side’s edge and finish after the fold at the adjacent side’s straight edge.

Repeat with the other Pocket piece.

Set the Pockets aside.

Prepare the Binding

With right sides facing, stack two of the Binding Strips on top of each other, lining up the raw edges of one of their short ends. Sew the ends together with a ¼-inch seam allowance. Press the seam open. For sizes fitting 36-39, 40-43 -inch and 44-46 -inch bust, piece an additional Binding Strip to the chain so that the finished Strip is 3 pieces, or approximately 160 inches long.

Fold the remaining Binding Strip in half so that its short ends meet. Cut the Binding Strip at the center crease.

Set the Bindings aside.

Mark

With the right side facing up, lay one Vest Front in the Outer Fabric out flat.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Using the Vest Front pattern piece as a guide, use the Fabric Pen to transfer the two diagonal Quilting Lines to the fabric.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Draw parallel lines every 2 inches to the left and right of these two guide lines. Continue until the entire Vest Front is covered with a 2-inch grid.

Repeat with the other Vest Front piece in the Outer Fabric.

Repeat with the Vest Back in the Outer Fabric, using the Vest Back pattern piece as a guide to transfer the Quilting Lines.

Quilt

Trim the batting down to three pieces: two that are slightly larger than the Vest Fronts, approximately 12 by 25 (12 1/2 by 25, 13 1/2 by 26, 14 1/2 by 27, 15 1/2 by 28) inches each, and one that is slightly larger than the Vest Back, approximately 20 by 26 1/2 (20 1/2 by 26 1/2, 21 by 27, 24 by 28, 25 1/2 by 28 1/2) inches.

Lay one piece of the batting out flat. With the right side facing up, lay the corresponding piece of the Vest in the Outer Fabric on top (in our example below, I am working on the right Vest Front [as the garment is worn]). There should be a small amount of batting extending beyond the Vest on all four sides.

Starting at the center and working out, use the curved arm safety pins to secure the Vest piece to the batting. Avoid pinning on the marked lines. Pin all the way to the edges of the Outer Fabric.

Using your machine’s walking foot, quilt the two pieces together along the marked lines. Here’s how…

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Starting with a line that runs roughly through the center of the Vest, sew along this line from one edge of the fabric to the other.

Pick up your foot and needle, but do not cut the thread. Rotate the Vest 180 degrees and sew along the line running next to the line you just stitched.

Continue to sew along the remaining parallel lines back and forth in this same manner: Sew a line, rotate the Vest and sew along the line next to it.

Sew all of the parallel lines on one side of the center line and then sew all of the lines on the other side of the center line.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Next, quilt all of the diagonal lines slanting in the other direction in the same manner: Sew the center line and alternate directions as you sew along all parallel lines running to the right and then to the left of this center line.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Trim the batting so that it is the same size and shape as the Vest piece.

Trim any remaining threads, remove the safety pins and spray water all over the vest to erase the marked lines.

Repeat with the remaining Vest pieces in the Outer Fabric.

Attach Pockets

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

With the right side facing up, lay one of the quilted Vest Front pieces out flat.

With its right side facing up, place one Pocket on top of the Vest Front, top edge up. Arrange the Pocket so that its long straight edge is 2 inches from the Vest placket and its bottom edge is 1¾ inch from the bottom edge of the Vest (you can use the Pocket Lines on the pattern piece as a guide). Pin the Pocket in place along all its edges except the diagonal one.

Sew the Pocket in place with an edgestitch along the pinned sides. When you reach the corners, insert the needle and pivot so that you have one continuous seam line along all four edges. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Repeat with the other Pocket piece on the other Vest Front.

Piece

Outer Fabric

With right sides together, stack one quilted Vest Front piece on top of the quilted Vest Back. Line up the raw edges of the side and shoulder seams. Pin these seams in place. Sew along the pinned edges with a 3/8-inch seam allowance. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seams.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho
Press the seams open. Sew the seam allowances down with an edgestitch.

Repeat with the other Vest Front.

This is now the Outer Vest.

Lining

With right sides together, stack one Vest Front piece in the Lining Fabric on top of the Vest Back (also in the Lining Fabric). Line up the raw edges of the side and shoulder seams. Pin these seams in place. Sew along the pinned edges with a 3/8-inch seam allowance. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seams.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Press the seams open. Sew along the raw edges of the seam allowances with a zigzag stitch.

Repeat with the other Vest Front in the Lining Fabric.

This is now the Vest Lining.

Attach the Outer Vest and Vest Lining

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

With wrong sides facing, tuck the Vest Lining into the Outer Vest, lining up all edges. Smooth out all wrinkles and pin in place along all the edges.

Sew all the way around the raw edges of the Vest (body and armholes) with a long basting edgestitch, making sure to pick up all three layers (Outer Fabric, Batting and Lining) as you sew.

Bind

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

With right sides facing, sew the long, pieced Binding to the body edge of the Vest with a ¼-inch seam allowance. Start at the center back neck of the Vest and about 2 inches from one short edge of the Binding.

TIP: Because pinning through the multiple layers of fabric can get tricky, I found it easiest to sew the Binding in place without pinning it. I just took it slowly and was very careful at the curves. If you feel more confident securing the fabric, I suggest using the Wonder Clips to hold the layers together.

Continue to sew the Binding in place until you are about 3 inches from the beginning of the seam.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Fold the extra length of both ends of the Binding toward the wrong sides so that the creases of each end meet in the middle of the gap. Press flat.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Sew the two ends of the Binding together at this pressed crease and trim the seam allowance to ¼ inch. Press the seam open. Sew across the gap with a ¼-inch seam allowance.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho

Now, flip the Vest so that the wrong side is facing up. Fold the Binding over the raw edge of the Vest, and then tuck the raw edge of the Binding under, creating a fold that runs flush with the seam line from the previous step.

Working in sections, place the Wonder Clips every couple of inches to hold the folds of the Binding in place.

Using the Hand Quilting thread, sew the Binding to the wrong side of the Vest using a slip stitch. For detailed instructions on how to sew a slip stitch, please visit our Slip Stitch Tutorial!

Using the remaining pieces of Binding, repeat with the armhole edges. Start sewing in the underarm so that the seam of the Binding and the side seam are in line.

Attach the Snaps

Turn the Vest right side out and lay it flat so that the right side of the left Vest Front is on top. Using the Vest Front pattern piece as a guide, transfer the two Snap placement marks to the left Vest Front. Make 4 (4, 4, 5, 5) more marks along the placket edge for the remaining snaps, keeping them evenly spaced and in line with the first two snap marks.

Using the Hand Quilting thread, sew the socket side of the snaps to the marked spots.

Now turn the Vest inside out and lay it flat so that the wrong side of the left Vest Front is on top. Make marks on the wrong side of the right Vest Front at the points where the snaps hit.

Using the Hand Quilting Thread, sew the ball side of the snaps to the marked spots.

Quilted Wool Vest | Purl Soho