I’ve been struggling to get the sizing worked out for fitted clothing like tops and dresses – no matter how closely I follow the instructions, there’s still a weird bit of excess fabric on the neck, or it’s too snug on the waist. So I thought I’d try using some jersey offcuts I’d bought as a bargain buy from my local fabric shop, and make myself a vest top or two.

New Look 6178 is relatively easy to make, with no darts or equally awkward points to mark and sew. The straps were the most fiddly part, as the stretchy nature of the fabric didn’t lend itself to being pinned…. I think clips might have worked better, but eventually I got them to behave.

I’m only 5′ tall, so I did shorten the pattern to ensure the waist was at the right point. Unfortunately this means the first one (the black & reddy pink vest on the left) is a little shorter than I’d like, but it’s still wearable. I added several inches onto the length for the purple one, so I can find the ideal length before hemming it.

Stitching on my regular machine, I used a zigzag for the main stitching, but I’ll use a double needle and a straight stitch for the hem, just to give a more professional finish.