I’d first like to thank everyone for the warm welcome to the Lynn Vest. It feels good to have this pattern out in the world as fall is beginning to settle in. I know I’m looking forward to wearing layers as the weather gets cooler.
With the release of a new pattern I always like to show off the testers versions – not only as an appreciation of the hard work that they put in, but also to give you an idea of how the pattern looks on different people and in a variety of fabrics. It is helpful to be able to see someone wearing a similar size that you are considering making or see the garment in a fabric type that you may want to use. Below you will find each tester’s measurements, the size they made, what fabric was used, and a run down of any modifications that they may have made for the pattern. Everyone’s body measurements are listed in following format: Bust/Chest, Waist, Hips, Height.
As a note, during the testing period, we discovered that there was a bit too much ease at the waist/hips. Some testers had finished their garments at this point, while others were still working on theirs. Because of this, some people went back to bring in the side seam and a few people have plans to update theirs in the future.
Kerry | 36, 28, 40, 5’6” | Size B
Kerry’s Lynn Vest is made from a camel wool blend for the main fabric and a mystery upholstery/decor fabric for the lining. She chose to only use two of the pockets. Kerry has plans to make a version that is car coat or duster length.
Lucas | 39”, 36”, 40”, 6’2” | Size D
Lucas made their Lynn Vest out of light cotton denim (main fabric) and cotton shirting (lining). Lucas added 2” to the length of the vest to accommodate their height. They were in between sizes and choose to size up, but in retrospect they think sizing down would have been a better choice.
Amanda | 118cm, 100cm, 127cm | Size E
Amanda’s Lynn Vest is made from two thrifted pieces of woven fabric. She suspects that the main fabric is a cotton/linen blend and the lining is a poly/cotton blend. Both fabrics have quite a bit of drape. She didn’t make any modifications to the pattern.
Vathsala | 38”, 32”, 42”, 5’7” | Size C
Vathsala made her Lynn Vest from a light-medium weight textured cotton for the main fabric and a light-medium weight cotton lawn for the lining. She used leftover fabric from a previous project so she changed the layout the accommodate the fabric on hand. Because of this her collar is made from the lining fabric instead of the main fabric.
Courtney | 47”, 39”, 45”, 5’6” | Size E
Courtney made their Lynn Vest out of a thick cotton for the main fabric and a lighter weight denim/chambray for the lining. Courtney changed the pattern layout to accommodate the fabric that they had on hand. They drew the pattern pieces out on paper first so they would be able find places the pattern pieces would fit within the scrap fabric.
Fred | 107cm, 107cm, 112cm, 168cm | Size D
Fred’s Lynn Vest is made from cotton canvas for the main fabric (an old curtain!) and the lining is cotton poplin. Fred ended up bringing in the side seams by 1” after he was finished with the vest (this change has since been made to the pattern).
Anna | 42”, 32”, 42” | Size D
Anna used a mix of scraps to make her Lynn Vest. These scraps included a mix of heavy weight denim, wide whale corduroy, and hand woven cotton. Anna excluded in the interior pockets on her vest. Anna also took in side seams by an additional 1/2” per side, as she finished before the final pattern updates were made.
Amelia | 84cm, 70cm, 100cm | Size C
Amelia’s Lynn Vest is made from linen and a medium weight, upcycled cotton floral curtain. Due to the weight of her fabrics, she was unable to topstitch the vest by hand.
Jo | 46”, 48”, 58” | Size E and F
Jo made two Lynn Vest’s during the testing period. For the Size E version, she used linen and waxed cotton. Jo added 1/2” to the side panels and then tapered them so 1” was removed from the top of the side panel and 2” was added to the bottom. This resulted in a narrower waist and a wider hip. For the Size F version, she used linen and striped homespun cotton. She removed 1.125” from each side panel (this was prior to 1/2” being removed from each side panel for the final pattern).
Samy | 33”, 26”, 41”, 5’2” | Size C
Samy used medium weight canvas and a light cotton blend to make her Lynn Vest. She adjusted the size of some of the pockets. Samy also used a 5/8″ seam allowance at the side seam to bring the vest in a bit. She had cut the side panel pattern pieces to the original width and by increasing the seam allowance, she was able to bring the side panels in to the updated width. Increasing the side panel seam allowance is an easy way to adjust the fit of the vest.
Cayden | 36”, 27”, 36”, 5’ 9” | Size B
Cayden made her Lynn Vest from an upcycled tablecloth and thrifted heavy weight cotton gingham. Cayden combined the side panels so there was only one side panel per side. She also left off the collar and added ties to close the front. She also adjusted the size and quantity of the pockets.
Jacqui | 34”, 30”, 38”, 5’7” | Size B
Jacqui used linen for the main fabric and cotton for the lining of her Lynn Vest. She adjusted the pattern layout to accommodate her fabric width. She also used one of the pockets as a liner to a create sturdier pocket.
Mallory | 37″, 29″, 39″ | Size B
Mallory opted to quilt her Lynn Vest. She used a variety of fabrics to create the main fabric; including linen, cotton, sandwashed cotton crepe, viscose linen noil and hemp. For the lining, she uses a thrifted cotton sheet. She used an old flannel sheet for the batting. When topstitching the vest, she had some difficulty due to all the layers, but she used some needle nose pliers to help pull the need through.
Mandy | 44”, 37”, 49”, 5’9” | Size D
Mandy made her Lynn Vest from 12 oz. denim (main) and light ticking (lining). She extended her collar to the hem since she had extra fabric. Mandy also used topstitching details along the pocket edges.
Rose | 49”, 45”, 54”, 5’6” | Size F
Rose made this (hand-sewn!) Lynn Vest for her partner, Christine. Rose used African waxed cotton and boiled wool. She tapered the side panels by increasing the seam allowance at the underarms. She also adjusted the width and orientation of a few of the pockets.
Rebecca | 38”, 29”, 40”, 5’6” | Size C
Rebecca’s Lynn Vest is made from Nevada linen for the main fabric and cotton canvas for the lining. She adjusted the pattern layout to work with the width her fabric. She needed to cut the collar and a few pockets from a separate piece of fabric.
Allison | 48”, 41”, 51” | Size F
Allison made her Lynn Vest from canvas and a cotton sheet. Allison finished her vest before the width of the side panels were adjusted. She had a great idea to add an inverted box pleat at the side panel to bring in waist and create a little flare at the hips. This fit adjustment worked really well for her curves. Adding the pleat at the underarm is another easy way to adjust the fit and it adds a nice visual detail.
If you have any questions about size and fit while planning your Lynn Vest, don’t hesitate to reach out. I would be happy to help you figure out any potential fitting issues. And, thank you again to all the testers! I’m so appreciative of all the support during the pattern making process.
Happy making!
