10-15-13 -Remaking a vest
Here are the before pictures. If I remember correctly, my youngest brother made this for his Toy Story Woody that he had when he was much younger. As can be seen, it's in kind of rough condition (although, considering he made it when he was probably around 12, I think he did pretty good), it wasn't hemmed, and the stitching. . . well. . anyway. . I recently found this when I was looking through our fabric, and tried it on one of my American Girls.
It fit pretty good. A little tight in the shoulders, but it fit. I took off the scrap first, then I tried it on again (and took more pictures).
I was originally planning on putting it back together the way I took it apart, but I quickly realized that wouldn't work, since I needed to hem it, and then re-sew it. That would make it way too small. So, I got creative. I took the piece of fabric that had been the back of the old vest and sewed it into a pocket-like piece. I then took the pieces or fabric that had been the two front panels and sewed them together, then cut the new double sided piece in half (creating the side pieces of fabric for the new vest). I lost the scrap from the first edition of the vest, but I found two other pieces of the same fabric elsewhere and sewed them to make two more double-sided pieces. I then sewed the front panel (the side pieces and the then halter strap) together on my sewing machine. Then I hand-sewed the front panel onto the back pocket-piece. So now my dolls have a vest that can double as a backpack! The 'V' on the back isn't a hood, it's a flap that closes the back of the vest. and in front, where the side pieces meet the 'V' halter piece, there are two more working pockets too. I didn't use a pattern for this, I just put them together until it worked the way I wanted it too. the bow in front is two long pieces of string that I sewed in and then knotted together, so I can take the vest off/on easily, and there is something to hold it shut.
Doll: American Girl Kirsten
Clothing: Kirsten: Battat white tank top, American Girl Flutter Flower outfit skirt, and American Girl Pretty and Plaid outfit boots.
Doll: American Girl Kirsten
Clothing: Kirsten: Battat white tank top, American Girl Flutter Flower outfit skirt, and American Girl Pretty and Plaid outfit boots.