Friday, December 12, 2014

A Disappointing Vest, Vogue 9034

And now I've come to the bottom of the pile, the last of the garments I made during the summer and early autumn of this year. The bottom of the pile also means the last of the photos taken by my sister, Lisa, at the end of October. I'll miss these colorful portraits!

In September, I whipped up this vest and top:




Only after arriving home and editing these photos did I notice I didn't have the lapels of this vest turned back properly. So, I took some selfies to show how the lapels are supposed to lie.


This vest was made using Vogue 9034, a pattern I can't recommend as is. The reasons? Many shortcuts were taken with the pattern instructions and pieces. And it's not a Very Easy Vogue pattern. So, what gives, Vogue?

First of all, the garment is lined to the edges. Not a good construction practice. I much prefer facings and hems, to give the garment more structure. Secondly, no interfacing in the lapels!!! Horrors! I foolishly followed the instructions, and put interfacing only in the collar. Big mistake, as you can see in the photos. Those lapels are crying out for more support.


Thirdly, no tailoring techniques were recommended. To give Vogue credit, the undercollar is cut in two pieces, on the bias. A surprise, considering the lack of any other tailoring tricks. I did know enough to hand sew the undercollar/body seam to the collar/facing seam. But I really should have interfaced the front, faced and interfaced the armholes, and hemmed the bottom. I'm not sure why I blindly sewed along to the directions. I must have been in a trance of some sort!

The fabric is a rayon/linen blend from Marcy Tilton. It was a gem to work with, and I love the color. The jersey for the top is from her, also. I used my TNT t-shirt pattern, Vogue 8793.


I love the print of the top, and it was cool how these two fabrics came together, as they were purchased separately. Too bad I probably won't wear the vest very much. It just looks too sloppy. A shame. I suppose I could take it apart and remake it the right way, but I'm not sure how motivated I am to do that.


I do like the asymmetry of the front of the vest. I'm not crazy about the rest of it, though, so I just might reclaim the fabric for another pursuit. I have at least 1/2 yard of the fabric remaining, so it could become part of another garment.

All in all, a disappointing pattern and garment.

*****
Why in the world, you ask, am I standing next to a Hindu statue (a deity?), with my hand on its head? Because I couldn't resist her. The grounds of the manor where my sister lives is dotted with these, along with a few Japanese and Celtic statues. An eclectic mix, almost humorously positioned among the grasses and Indiana limestone rocks that dot the landscape. I had fun wandering the gardens and photographing the statuary. Enjoy!












8 comments:

  1. I love this color on you. Very flattering. The pair, top and vest look good together. I think if you're not happy with the fit it's worth recutting it into another vest. Or ???

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    1. Hi Gayle! I often think this color is one of my best. It can function as a very good basic color in my wardrobe.
      I'm not sure what I'll do with the vest. I won't be wearing it until March - not warm enough for winter - so I have some time to think about it. Now I'll have to make something else to wear with the top in the wintertime.

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  2. I agree, great color on you! Before you scuttle the vest to the back of the closet, how about doing the Marcy Tilton, or maybe it's Katherine, wrinkle thing, where you wet it, twist it up as had as you can, and let dry. If the garment is "supportless" I think this could work and might be worth a try before giving up on it. Your fabric would work well with that sort of treatment. Just a thought.

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    1. Thank you, Bunny, for your suggestion. I hadn't thought of doing that wrinkle thing, but it's an excellent idea. The fabric is going to wrinkle anyway, so why not just help it out? It would make the wrinkly lapels look a lot better!

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  3. I don't think it's that bad either, Dixie! The colour is lovely and I adore linen. Bunny's great idea sounds like it might be worth trying. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

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  4. I think the ensemble looks fab. I know you are not happy with the vest but I think sometimes what we imagine it will be affects how we feel about the finished product. Think of it on it's own merits. A lovely loosely structured vest.

    Your sister lives in a beautiful place.

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  5. wrinkle, beading, paint, anything to add to this vest. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. haha, easy to say from my armchair. :-) I love the top and vest together, and think the colors are super on you.

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  6. Great color for you. I'd try some of the suggestions above - nothing to lose!
    Marciae from SG

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