The week after Alt Summit, I spent a couple days in Seattle with my mom and sisters on a girls’ trip (for my 30th birthday!) One of the stops we made was to Seattle Fabrics, a huge warehouse filled with bolts upon bolts of high quality outerwear and marine fabrics! Swoon. Most of the fabrics were pretty pricey, so I wanted to makes sure I had a project in mind for what I bought. I dug around in the remnant bin and found this hearty mustard-yellow polartec fleece and immediately saw it as fleece vests for my boys.
I grew up in Utah, where fleece vests and jackets are second-skin in the winter. I remember my dad being especially fond of vests because , as he explained, he could wear just a tee shirt underneath, then layer with a jacket or shell if he needed one. I learned a lot from my dad, including the value of a fleece vest, and have always had one as part of my wardrobe! I bought an itty bitty Patagonia fleece vest for Milo when he was just months old, and he wore that until he grew out of it in toddlerhood. Then I bought him a new one at REI, and baby Eliot inherited the original. When I spotted that yellow fleece in Seattle I remembered that by now Eliot had almost outgrown the toddler-sized vest, and soon both boys would be vest-less. I couldn’t let that happen!
I bought the remnant yard of fleece (along with some rip-stop nylon, and about 30 discount metal zippers) and planned on some vest-making. It was about a week later that I received an email from Dana about testing her newest pattern for…you guessed it: a fleece vest!! The Flip Vest was exactly what I needed.
You know what’s better than making each of my boys one fleece vest? Making them each two (in one)! The Flip Vest is fully reversible, which means twice the fun for the same amount of work. That’s my kind of pattern. Above, check out one side of the vests I made (along with some pretty great faces). Then flip…
…and check out the second side!
Along with their basic fleece vest, now Milo and Eliot both each have a second addition to their wardrobes, chosen just for their personalities. I thought the black and white Ikea stripes would fit in will with Eliot’s young wardrobe. Toddlers can pull off anything, and the stripe has the added benefit of being really easy to spot in a crowd or on the playground, so he won’t get too far without me knowing where he is. For Milo I chose a dark denim. It feels a little western and also channels an outdoorsy vibe that fits Milo’s adventurous personality. I also love that the denim is durable and stain resistant, and it will only look better and better with wear.
One thing I really loved about the Flip Vest pattern is that it is a perfect base for fun customizations. Not only can you choose different fabrics, ribbing, and closures, but because of the simplicity of the pattern, you can play around with details. On the denim side of Milo’s vest I added some cool reflective piping across the chest. The pattern blocking and piping was sort of a happy accident because I didn’t have enough of this denim on hand to cut all of the size 4-5 pattern pieces as designed. But, if I chopped the front pieces in half and added seam allowance, I could squeak the whole vest out. Milo’s only 3.5 years old, but I wanted some room to grow and I think the fit will be great for a long time. Gotta love creating frankenclothing from fabric remnants (I seem to do it often…)
My boys have both inherited my love of pockets, and I couldn’t wait to double the fun by adding pockets on both sides of their vests. For both vests I added patch pockets to the cotton sides. Milo’s are diagonal, and Eliot’s are square. On the fleece sides, I tried my hand at the inset zipper pockets that I learned to make at Sewing Summit last year. They are so cool! Some of the discount zippers I picked up in Seattle were actual “pocket zippers,” which I had never seen before. They are closed on both ends. The boys can unzip and zip them by themselves, and use them to store all types of treasures (aka the candy bribe I gave them for taking pictures….ya know.) I totally eyeballed the placements, so they aren’t completely perfect, but I’m not a perfectionist.
I thought the stripes would be cute on Eliot, and I was right. They are completely heart-melting. He’s such a funny little munchkin, always making me laugh with the silly and random things he does, somehow this print fit him perfectly. He’s only 20 months, but I made him the 2-3T size and just like Milo’s vest, it has some room to grow, but doesn’t look too big right now.
You can see that the pocket placement on Eliot’s vest was a little low. The bottom just barely sits inside the hem. I made this vest first, and corrected the alignment by raising the pockets up a bit on Milo’s vest. Also, After making Eliot’s vest I re-learned a lesson I learn all. the.time. PRE-WASH! The cotton shrunk just slightly and the fleece did not, creating just enough size difference between the two that the fleece doesn’t lay perfectly flat. I don’t mind, especially since Eliot never stays in one place long enough to notice, but I will remember to prewash everything in the future. (Or I’ll just keep rushing to start and finish projects that shrink.)
On both vests I chose to use heavy-duty snaps as closure. The pattern teaches the technique for both buttons and velcro, but I avoid buttons at all cost and wanted the vest to have the technical look of hardware. In order to make them totally reversible, I just used the brushed-metal caps for both sides of the snap (Eliot’s are bronze and Milo’s are silver). The size #24 snaps actually went in quite easily, even through the layers of fleece and denim/canvas. I kind of love snaps.
I had such a great time with this pattern. Both Milo and Eliot love their vests (Milo prefers the fleece side, and I put Eliot in stripes more so far.) I learned a couple new techniques making these, but the pattern was still simple enough I could finish them each in one sitting. I can rest easy now knowing that everyone in the family has a fleece vest to his/her name. The DC area seems to just be flirting with the idea of spring, so being able to layer a tee with a vest, and then a jacket (if needed) is a perfect system. My dad sure knew what he was talking about!
I’m so excited that Dana has offered to give away a copy of The Flip Vest pattern to THREE of you wonderful readers! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below before Friday. I’ll randomly pick the three winners then, and Dana will email over the prizes. Good luck!
130 Comments
I love the vests! I would love to try out the pattern for my little ones
Love Dana’s patterns!
This vest is great! I would love to sew one for my son!
I’d love to try this vest out for both of my little guys!
This pattern looks so fun!fun
would love to win…
Perfect for spring…spring will come, right?
I sure hope so!
Those are so cute! I would love to try it!
I have so many little ones in my life that would love this vest!
Oh, both are so cute on your little guys! Love that you spread out the buttons more and added pokets! Don’t pick me for the giveaway, I’ve got the pattern already. Obvi.
these are amazing! love that they are reversible and the big snaps! so cute!
I will love to try a Dana pattern!
Yay! These are adorable
Of all your blogs I’ve been reading (since “finding” you a few months ago)….this is my FAVE!!!! I LOVE reversible clothes!!! I can totally see my girls in geometric/green for the youngest and blue/floral for the oldest! My mom is coming to visit in a few weeks and we could make this our sewing project. (we always have one or two or twelve of those when she comes!) Remember, I said she had the machine like yours and then she went through ALL the trouble to get me one JUST LIKE IT??!! THANKS!
P.S. I could use a tutorial on snaps!!! I have a snap thingies that looks like a wrench that you squeeze but it doesn’t seem to beefy for this. Where do you get your snaps? Thanks!!
You got it! I love snaps! I buy mine at my local fabric store, but I know JoAnns sells them, too. The snap setter I have sounds like what you have, too, and it’s heavy duty…you just have to trust it!
xo
I would love! Some
These are adorable! And my nephews would love them
I’d love to win one of these patterns!
So cute! I LOVE the black and white one you made!
I’ve enjoyed seeing this pattern tested around this week! I’d love to get my hands on a copy!
So Cute! Those vests are adorable!
The vest pattern is cute and your two kids are adorable!
Thanks for the chance to win!
Thanks for the giveaway!
I would love to win this pattern! Great vests!
I’d love to try this pattern, I have two boys too !
Thanks for the chance to win…
Love what you’ve done with this pattern. Can’t wait to try it for my littles. entwinedessentials@gmail.com
Love what you did with the vests!
Yay for Dana’s patterns! I would love to make one of these for my little guy.
Love Dana’s website!
Great job. Very cute.
So cute, I have some pink fleece asking to be made into a vest!
I love the stripes! What a fun pattern.
POCKETS!!! My little man loves pockets, will have to use this idea when I make this vest!
What sweet boys! Thanks for the chance to win!
This pattern is great, and your yellow vest with the diagonal zippered pockets is awesome!
I love little men in stripes! Thanks!
Love all the embellishments you added!
They looks soo awesome!
Beautiful!
So cute! I love the zippered pockets!!
LOVE to sew and my boys would love wearing these adorable vests. Thanks for the chance to win a pattern. Oh and your kids are SO cute!
Love this pattern!!!
Love it!
Oooh! Pick me!
Those vest are amazing- love the pockets!
OOH! I love Dana’s work! I hope I am one of the winners!!!!
Love the pocket variations! This is my first visit to your blog, too, what fun.
Love what you added to the pattern. So cute! I would love to try out the pattern.
Julzhustead(at)gmail(dot)com
Great tip on using the snaps to make it fully reversible, that’s great! So cute and your pocket options are awesome!
love your customizations!!! so fun!
I love this vest, I’d love to have the pattern
You did it just great!
I absolutely love your vests for your boys, and the story that surrounds fleecce vests put a smile on my face. This vest looks pretty easy to sew up in an afternoon! equest2005 at woh dot rr dot com
The vest is cool in itself…. but your embellishments make it even BETTER. I’d love to try!
so cute. those stripes are simply adorable. and dc area? where?! i’m in MD; we should hang out. i promise i’m not crazy.
I love the snaps! Totally perfect for my little boys.
I would love to win this pattern and if I am a lucky one I would make it with a bright cotton one side and a fleece the other to make it really versatile – wea r with jeans and jumper to play out or flip it over to head out somewhere, please pick me and help me reduce my fabric stash (or make space for more)
The vests are so cute! I would love to try to make some for my little brothers and sister.
What a great giveaway!! Thanks for the chance!
Yhank you for the giveaway, I really hope I win.
Love it! Would love to try the pattern!
I looooooooooove these vests and I looooooooove there are some to win!!!
Love this pattern, and LOVE the colors and fabric you chose!
Love what you did with the pattern. They turned out so awesome.
And thanks for the reminder to pre-wash. I think we all forget a few times, and some days live to regret it!
I would love to make this vest for my little boy and girl!! Love how it allowes you to make it your own! I have the perfect fabric for it even;) love your site!
I love how versatile vests are- especially for boys who hate sleeves! Thanks for a great giveaway.
Love all the pockets! What a great idea for the treasures that little boys find and stow away for later. Thanks for the inspiration.
I love how the vests turned out! Adding the zippered pockets was genius. You inspired me to be more bold and experiment with patterns.
Love the black and white stripes. And Dana’s patterns.
so cute! i´d love to try it!
such a great pattern!
Ok, I am going to have to copy your version with stripes and yellow! What an amazing way to customize an already cute pattern. I’m crossing both my fingers for a win. I have three little ones that could all use a cute vest! Thanks for the chance.
I love the colors you picked for your vests. I would love to win. Thanks for the chance!
Love it! Thanks for the chance to win
Loving the snaps!!
Love love love the fabric combinations. I totally hear you about prewashing — I am rarely patient enough and it had bitten me in the butt. Luckily, the vest still looks great and is made from a nice forgiving pattern. I can’t wait to make a couple for my kids!
Both vests look darling and I love the snaps! Thanks for the giveaway!
thanks for hosting!
Pick me!!!!
Love this pattern – thanks for the giveaway!
Adorable! Thanks for a chance to win!
The vests are so cute and your boys are adorable. These vests are perfect for south Texas weather, I look forward to making them for my grandchildren – 10 and counting!!! :0
Those vests are just adorable, I can’t wait to make one for my son!
I’ve never done snaps but I love the look!
I LOVE what you have done with tis pattern, especially the zip pockets and the black and white stripes, Very cool
This would be fun to try! Thanks for the giveaway.
What great vests! Well done!
These vests are so cute! I’d love to win the pattern! Thank you!
thanks for this giveaway! love your version
I’d love to try out these vests!
Love both vests! Give me some great ideas of how to make one for my little man!
Very cute!!!
I love your color choices and all the details that you added to the original pattern. Embelishing boy’s clothes isn’t too easy but you did such a great job and your vests stand out.
Great vest! Would love to make one!
I love the stripes!
Your vests look store bought (I say that as a compliment) and fantastic! Sounds like another great pattern from Dana, how exciting and lucky I would be if my name was picked. Thanks for the chance to win:)
What Adorable versions you have created! I’d love to win and try making some for my little ones!
Thanks for the giveaway!
I would LOVE to try the vest pattern!
Thank you for the chance at the giveaway!
Yeah, thank you! Adorable!
I love them. The pockets are a great addition. Your boys are adorable.
Thanks for the chance – would love to win!
Love these vests! And thank you for the detailed account of how you made them. I know it takes time to sit and write so much on a blog post, but I appreciate it!
Love these vests! And thank you for the detailed account of how you made them. I know it takes time to sit and write so much on a blog post, but I appreciate it!
I love what you have done with Dana’s pattern. Your boys look great with both looks. ‘Frankenclothing’ made me LOL. I’ll remember that for when I need to do the same!
Love them! Perfect for little boys especially in our mild winter for that just a touch of warmth
WOW! i’d love to win so i can try to make one for my nephew.
I totally love your idea of the “technical/ hardware look”. Your boys look really cool wearing it! I have to try it as well.
wow these guys are just too adorable! and so look alike to each other!
hi! this is a wonderful project for my girl, nieces and nephew. I’d love to win this pattern.
Thanks for the giveaway! Here’s hoping…
I love the way your vests match/coordinate together! I really like that look for siblings–not too matchy, but a bit.
So cute! Thanks for the chance
Love your choice of fabrics!
I would love to win this pattern! Both my kids could use a new vest. And yours look amazing!
It IS Friday. Hopefully I’m not too late to enter.
I love seeing your version of the FLIP vest.
Cute vests! I am always looking for boy things to sew. Thanks for the giveaway!
Love these vests! so cute.
What a great layering idea for little guys. Actually my hubby layers like this often in winter (our winters aren’t that severe), definitely gonna try it on my 4year old this coming winter. (almost autumn here in South-Africa although there is still a lot of summer heat going around)
I would love to try this vest pattern. Thanks
Awesome vests – love the addition of zippers, and I can think of a ton of other ways to customize it!
i love the zipper pockets
What a fun pattern.
What gorgeous boys you have, and aren’t they handsome in their vests!
i adore the stripes. i think i might need a stripey vest of my own! thanks!
This would make great gifts for all the little guys in my life!
Your boys are adorable in their vests! Great customizations!
I hope “by Friday” meant by the end of Friday. Count me in on the vest train. Soooo cute! And a great digitized pattern to boot (if I’m lucky)
xoxo
What a great idea with the zippers!!
I ditto Maren above. Hopefully we squeaked in.
I loooove vests and desperately need one for the changing seasons (for my son….not me. Well, actually, me too but don’t think it will fit me)