When we were in Thailand/Laos in January I bought quite a few fabric souvenirs.  I really want to turn them all into garments (maybe some into cushions) but it does take sort thought for me to figure out what will work best for particular types of fabric.  The idea to turn a length of ikat into a vest came to me while lying awake in bed one night.  Do others plan their sewing projects when they are meant to be asleep?

I looked at the length of ikat and knew that it would have to be combined with another fabric to have enough for an effective garment – and denim would hopefully work well! I had some stretch denim scraps in my stash, and they were just the right shade of blue. I used the denim for the collar/front bands.

The pattern is New Look 6397. From their website: Misses’ cozy jacket with patch pockets can have a straight or handkerchief hemline. Vest can have a straight hem with patch pockets or a high-low without pockets.  Fabric suggestions: Lightweight to medium woven or knit fabrics with drape such as: Linen and wool types, double knits, fleece, interlock, jersey, ponte, stretch velvet.

You may have noticed that the fabric suggestions are mostly for knits, but I figured that the vest would be fine in my medium weight wovens.  I sewed view C without the pockets, possibly in the size Small (10-12), although it could have been the Medium (14-16) but I’m too lazy to pull the pattern envelope out and check.

The front bands are seamed at the centre back of the neckline and form the gentle shawl collar.  From memory the bands are rectangular pieces,cut double on the fold. The ikat frayed terribly, so I overlocked all the edges first then did the assembly with a straight stitch on my sewing machine. The bottom of the vest is a 5/8″ turned hem, just straight stitched into place, as are the armhole openings.

This was really easy to make, and highly satisfying. I took a bit of a punt sewing this vest, and I’m extremely happy with the finished result.

I sewed McCalls 7441 back in May when I was at Sewjourn.  One of the benefits of sewing garments when I’m away with a group of friends is to see how those garments look on people who are ostensibly of a similar size but are different heights and shapes.

I am 158cm tall, with a thick torso. Rachel is 175cm tall, with more of an hourglass shape.

The main attraction of this cardigan/jacket is the statement back.

And on Rachel:

The fabric is a soft, slightly marled acrylic knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics, and the colour is rather vibrant in natural light. It was incredibly easy to sew. There are only three main pattern pieces. I sewed the centre back seam (at the top of the back piece, where the cowl forms) the sleeve seams and the side seams on the sewing machine, but set in the sleeves with the overlocker. Using the machine meant that I had less bulk when it came to turning a hem around the edges of the jacket.

I turned the hem to the inside about a centimetre then zig-zagged it in place. The stitches really sink in to the fabric, and the edge of the zig zag is right on the edge of the seam allowance. It all worked nicely. The sleeve hems were turned about an inch before zig-zagging in place.

I sewed a fishing sinker as a weight to the inside of the cowl point to keep it draping nicely.  This is view C, the long version with tie front.  I suspect that I sewed size Medium, but it could have been the Small.  There is plenty of ease in this style.

From the McCalls website: Loose-fitting unlined jackets and vest have front opening variations, shaped narrow hems, and draped back. Wrong side of fabric will show. B: Hood and pockets.

I’m actually a little surprised that I haven’t seen this pattern sewn up more. It’s fast, it’s dramatic, and it’s fun. I might give one of the shorter versions a try!