I know most of you care about as much about the intricacies of making fishing vests as you do about, oh, sewage treatment plant design. Nonetheless, if I’m stuck with it, I’m bloody well going to share.
Cargo pockets and back piece
I made some pretty good progress a couple of nights ago when Osiris’s best bud called him out for an airport-layover hangout, but then stalled out over lack of zippers. The vest requires five zippers. Fortunately (?) for me, Fabricland had their Canada Day sale early this year, so today I headed out there with a friend.
I got zippers.
I also made the mistake of looking in the clearance section. Which was fifty percent off.
Stuff that’s just kinda cute at $3, becomes really irresistible at $1.50/m.
Fabrics!
And then the awesome cutting-table lady kept getting to almost the end of the bolt and going “Ah, that looks like two metres to me…” when it was really, ah, well, let’s just say the cuts were generous. Er, so the spiderman print I got at Value Village a wee bit back, but I figure it was worth sharing (and it’s actual fabric, not an old bedsheet!). It probably cost more than any of the other fabrics, which are all fairly thin but really nice-feeling knits. And, polkadots!
Pink & green camo lycra
Oh, yeah, I forgot to photograph this one because the children had absconded with it. This was also like $1.50/m, and it was worth it just for the squeals when they saw it. Few things make my kids happier than slightly-girly camo. It’s lycra. Not good quality lycra, either, but thin, run-prone, easily snagging lycra. Ah well, they’ll be over the moon for the five seconds that it lasts…
New Look 6789
My friend bought a couple of metres of the black polkadot, too, and we spent a little while this evening altering the the pattern for New Look 6789, which will be her first “real” attempt at sewing a dress. She’s one of those short, round shapes that can never, ever find anything to fit off the rack, so I really have hopes of getting her hooked. Assuming I can figure out how to fit a body that’s about as different from mine as possible while still being the same species. We did some tissue fitting, and I made my first ever attempt at an FBA. We won’t be able to try actually sewing for a few more days, though—but here’s hoping it works! (And since the fabric was a whole $2/m, no, we’re not making a toile. And no, the pattern’s not for a knit, but it’s a pretty stable, not-very-stretchy knit and I think as long as we interface the upper band and shoulder-straps it’ll be fine.)
I really like this pattern. I’m kind of jealous she’s going to get one before I get a chance to sew it up…
Tanit-Isis Sews 
Wow you got a good deal, I really like that dress pattern. I am in the process of making dresses for my little girl and me. I hope that you can get her hooked that way you can learn from each other and help one another.
Yeah, a sewing buddy would be awesome. /sigh. I dunno, I’ve been dropping hints for several years and this is the first time she’s taken the bait…
I know this isn’t fair, because I never give anything back to you, but I am so fully and utterly and completely entertained by your posts that about once a year I simply have to comment. You are hilarious!! I know this is mostly all about sewing (it is for me, too), but your blog pulls in all of the other interesting stuff that goes with sewing….. like children, husbands, bad fabrics, good fabrics, and even some really sophisticated and advanced sewing techniques. I can’t believe it’s free!!! Next time I clean out my modest stash of fabrics and patterns, I’m going to figure out a way to send it to you as repayment for the great entertainment. I LOVE your blog!
Aww! OK, this is officially one of the sweetest comments ever. Now, about that once a year thing… 😉 while I have never yet turned down a free pattern, the main reward I get out of blogging is that warm tingly feeling when I get a new comment. And believe me I read and appreciate ever one! 😉
Sooo…I just received some Spiderman sheets. We should do a Spiderman dress sewalong/round-up for the movie coming out in July!
Do you like how I ignored everything else in your post and assumed that you would even want a Spidey dress?
Dood! Spiderman dress throwdown! Awesome!
Oh the pain of saying “I could make that” out loud. Sigh. So, what will the pinkish camo become I wonder? And the spidey fabric? Hmmm, the pitfalls of bargain prices. And sizing. Gosh darn it.
Well, the kids have made suggestions ranging from a dress (for Tyo) to leggings to a particular halter-top Syo loves. We’ll see… I will probably be thoroughly sick of it before we’re done 😉
Vests used to totally befuddle me- they had us make one in middle school and when I made one years later I still cannot imagine what that thing i made back then was- it was quite bizarrely shaped and sewn!
I made a lot of vests for dance costumes back in the day, but I always fell back on a *lot* of hand-finishing to get them to work. Not sure how I’m going to finish this one. A lot of the examples I’ve looked at just have a binding around the edge…
OMG SPIDER MAN FABRIC! Awesome! First the Star Wars dress and now this… can’t wait to see what you make with it.
Hehe. I am kinda doubting it will eclipse the Star Wars dress. But I think it will still be fun…
A Spidey throwdown would rock!
After all the diaperbags I’ve made for friends, with millions of pockets and zippers, I can completely understand what you are going thru with the vests! It’s pocket making hell! Good luck!
Oh, god. The thought of making diaper bags just kinda terrifies me. Although anything would’ve been cuter than the old storebought one I had…
I like that pattern too! I considered it back when it was still in print, but decided it would make my chesticles look even tinier.
I can’t believe you’re making a fishing vest. The zippers and the snaps alone—ya know, I’d pay $100 for something like that and consider it money well spent to preserve my sanity. To be fair, I’m somewhat low in the sanity department to start out with.
I have that New Look pattern too and I have never made it before, but I got some red polka dot stuff like the girl is wearing on the envelope and when I went to cut it out I discovered somehow I have lost the instructions.
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