There’s a theme in my creative practice that I wish wasn’t present and that’s mulling-procrastination-fear-putting-off-delaying-overthinking-anitis – ha!
Even though I do remind myself that the best approach is to just dive in and have fun. Time and time again has proven that doing leads to discoveries, progress and results. And yet, I still find myself stuck from time to time in this ‘thinking about it’ stage.
Maybe that percolating process is what helps us finally take the plunge with more confidence? I like to think that it helps me think through the process so that I have a better idea of what I’m diving into.
This Chevron Quilted Vest is a perfect example.
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The Original Design Story
I originally designed her years ago for a project with a Swedish magazine. That project ultimately didn’t go through, but apparently my brain didn’t get the memo – ha!
I just couldn’t stop thinking about this vest.
Part of what kept drawing me back was that the design felt different from the quilted vests I was seeing out there. I didn’t want to make just another quilted vest. And I didn’t want something that screamed patchwork either.
Much like my Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat Pattern Extension, I wanted the patchwork to feel intentional — classic, stylish and understated, but still eye-catching.
I also loved the idea of seeing the original concept finally come to life and getting to actually wear it. I’m always drawn to those forever pieces that can become part of my me-made wardrobe, and this felt like it had the potential to be one of those unique pieces that would fit right into my capsule wardrobe.
One Day, It Finally Happened!
So, one day I finally decided to bring it to life.
And – shocker (not really!) – it wasn’t nearly as complex as I thought it would be.
I just needed to put rotary cutter to fabric and start stitching.
And it felt so good when I finally did!
Now, I did spend several hours on a rainy Saturday finalizing the measurements of what had been drafted years before. From there, I wasted no time in cutting the patchwork pieces out.
This took me less than 30 minutes, and that included all the pressing time. It was super fast to cut out.
Let’s just appreciate the irony of thinking about a project for years and then cutting the patchwork in under half an hour – ha!
The patchwork piecing was accomplished the next morning over a hot cup of coffee, while my hubz made me his egg BLT McMuffins — as he joked, what McDonald’s should have been 😉
The trickiest part was making sure I left myself enough wiggle room for trimming and not stretching my fabric as I pressed.
I also had to take a minute to figure out the angle and math for attaching the background to the Chevron, but that’s where I’m so thankful for the skills I’ve picked up over the years working in Illustrator.
I was joking with my quilty friend the other day (Hi Megan!), that when designing quilt patterns there’s two ways you have to ‘build it’ — once for the actual piecing and the other for the step-by-step graphics – ha!
From there it’s super smooth piecing.
Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!
Fabric Choices
The fabrics were purchased with this project in mind because I knew I wanted the vest to feel textural, cozy and a little more muted than my usual colour choices.
For the background I used Essex Linen in a light pinky-red shade, paired with Fableism chambrays in a soft taupe-brown for the Chevron patchwork.
The combination feels very classic and understated, which was exactly what I was after.
I actually made a mistake when pulling my fabrics — ha!
The original design featured a third colour, and somewhere along the way I completely forgot about it and started piecing with what I had.
Rather than stop and rethink everything, I decided to keep going.
The result is that the Chevron reads a little more abstractly than it did in my original design.
Which probably just means I need to make a second one at some point, right? 😉
For the lining, I originally planned to use more chambray, but then I remembered I had some leftover Fableism wovens from my last quilted coat — the green chambray one.
It felt like a much better use of those remnants and a perfect excuse to work my stash off to the max – ha!
I love the softness and texture that linen and wovens bring to a project like this. They have that cozy, tactile feel that makes you want to keep reaching for the finished piece.
And even though these colours are much more subdued than what I normally gravitate toward, I love how wearable the palette is.
It pairs especially beautifully with my burgundy woven quilted coat, which was a happy little accident.
Quilting
Normally, I wait until I’ve finished piecing my quilt top before deciding on my quilting direction, but with this quilted vest I had it planned out before I even started piecing the patchwork!
I originally thought I would do a classic crosshatch based on the angles of the Chevron patchwork.
But when I started mocking up the quilting lines, I noticed something I hadn’t expected.
Rather than carrying the crosshatch across the entire vest, I could keep the quilting focused around the Chevron outline, which created this lovely diamond effect directly above the patchwork.
The moment I saw it appear in the mock-up, I instantly fell in love with the look.
One of those little design discoveries that only happens once you start playing.
Quilting Thread
Since I was after texture rather than another colour detail, I opted to match my thread to the background fabric.
It just happens to be one of my go-to quilting thread colours 😊
I love it so much, that I keep it stocked in 50wt, 40wt, 28wt, and 12wt.
Here, to up the tactile feel and add textural dimension, I opted for 28wt.
It would have been my preference to big stitch hand quilt it, but my hands just weren’t having it with the other projects I had on the go at the time.
Binding
I questioned my binding quiiiiiite a few times before finally deciding on this adorable check print by Rashida Coleman for Ruby Star Society.
When I found it on 50% off discount, I bought up the rest of the bolt – lol.
Too cute to pass up 😉
The pink check gives such a fun touch to the vest.
I was tempted to go matchy-matchy with my background but opted for surprise and joy instead of coordinated and more streamlined.
And I did not waste any time deciding on finishing her with big stitch hand quilting – ha!
I know, surprise, surprise, right?!
I’m not sorry though, because I just adore those cute details.
The Detail That Started It All
The closures on this vest are actually what sparked the entire design in the first place – ha!
I had used similar closures on a capelet and absolutely loved the look.
These faux leather buckles are probably more intended for purses, but that unexpected detail is exactly what I love about them.
Rather than fully closing the sides of the vest, I loved the idea of leaving them open and using the buckles as both a design feature and a functional closure.
It means you can cinch the vest in a little more if you prefer a closer fit, or leave it looser if you want something less form fitting.
And visually, I just think they elevate the whole design.
Those slightly unexpected details are often what make a piece feel special.
Keep the Wearable Quilting Inspiration Going:
Love the idea of bringing patchwork into your handmade wardrobe? Here are a few more wearable quilting projects, design stories, and quilting lessons to keep those creative ideas flowing.
Finally Wearing It
I can’t express to you enough how much I love how this all came to be.
My only regret is that I sat on it for so many years.
Just think of all the enjoyable wear I could have gotten out of her – ha!
Nothing like making up for lost time 😉
I’ve been pairing her with my burgundy woven quilted coat and I’m so looking forward to the temperature continuing to drop so that I can bust out my turtlenecks.
I purposely left the neck opening a little larger and looser so that I could accommodate those extra layers.
I always find it interesting how my projects can end up coordinating in an unplanned way.
I think that probably speaks to the colours and fabrics that I naturally gravitate towards and therefore end up keeping in my fabric stash.
A reminder that a well-curated Fabric Cabinet is never a bad thing for keeping our creative play in action 😊
And perhaps that’s my biggest takeaway from finally bringing this Chevron Quilted Vest to life.
Some ideas really do need time to percolate.
But sometimes?
We just need to stop thinking about making the thing and actually make the thing – ha!
Because after years of having this vest living rent free in my creative brain, it turns out all I really needed to do was put rotary cutter to fabric and start stitching.
And now that she’s finally here, you better believe I’ll be making up for lost wearing time 😉
xo,
Shannon
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