Assymetrical Vest

I had a completely different idea when I started sewing. It was supposed to be a band-style vest jacket (wider in the shoulder and neckline than the normal vest, but no sleeves like a jacket...there must be an actual name, of which I'm blatantly unaware) with crossover tabs and a collar band. I made my own pattern for it by starting off with a basic McCall vest pattern from the late 90's.

Although I altered nearly everything about the pattern, it worked very well as a base. But...I didn't make a muslin first before cutting and sewing my material. Instead, I crossed my fingers and hoped, hoped, hoped that it would turn out.

I really should have made that muslin to have successfully executed my initial idea--no, I'm actually glad that I didn't make one. In one of my states of dismay at the boxy shoulder and neckline, I did a simple flip of the lapel and a tuck at each shoulder,and got the vest!



The blue/white woven Oxford shirting is from JoAnn's, and the gold and cream cotton is from Berkeley's Stonemountain and Daughter. I tried to take closer photos to capture the fabric's details, but neither seems to show up especially well. They look a bit flat, but I promise that they are the way that I've described!(For those unfamiliar with Stonemountain and Daughter, it is considered one of the best fabric stores in the San Francisco area, although it's ultimately no match for SF's Britex Fabrics. While Stonemountain does have a two small rooms for fashion fabrics, its main focus is upon cotton fabrics--and there it shines. However, it's generally a lot more affordable than Britex.)