Stitch Marvelous Money Saver Vest
Issue # 72 - November/December 1981
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by Barbara Jean Yonck
I originally intended to discard the nylon shell and simply use the polyester batting as stuffing for holiday craft items. However, upon arriving home and examining my "find", I discovered that many of the sections were quite large . . . and it seemed downright wasteful to tear them apart. Well, I gave the matter a little thought, and now the biggest scrap pieces warm my husband and me as we stroll about in our new fiberfill vests! The extra thermal layer helps to keep us warm indoors and out . . . yet adds no appreciable weight and doesn't restrict our activity.
If a cold draft is creeping into your dwelling, you might want to stitch up a couple of these cozy, lightweight, sleeveless jackets, too. It'd be hard to imagine a much less expensive way to keep the winter chill at bay.
My husband's vest is based upon a pattern purchased from my favorite fabric shop for $2.25 (I used McCall's No. 6848, but any style that appeals to you will work just as well). I chose the largest remnant for the vest's back and used smaller pieces for the front of the waistcoat. (Each section of material was a different color, so I simply selected hues that complemented each other.) When making the vest's lining, I pieced together some of the nylon stripped from the polyester batting of smaller scraps.
Once the fabric was spread out, I pinned the pattern pieces to it (making sure the quilted stitching that secures the nylon to the batting would run horizontally in the outer layer of the finished garment) . . . cut the sections out . . . and followed the pattern's instructions for sewing the vest together. Some heavy-duty fasteners (purchased for $1.75) finished the job, and I was able to present my husband with a "new" downlike vest that cost me less than $5.00 to make!
