BERNINA Fashion Looks – instructions for the quilted “Monarda” women’s waistcoat
The BERNINA Fashion Looks collection was penned by the Swiss designer Irène Münger and is inspired by the fabrics of the English textile designer Kaffe Fassett. It is the first fashion collection to be sewn on. The fashionable cuts from the collection are available online in the inspirations shop. The masterpiece of the collection is the “Monarda” waistcoat.
The “Monarda” puffer vest is perfect for the transitional period. The quilted oilskin or canvas is filled with warm padding and lined with a Kaffe Fassett floral print. The model with a stand-up collar, distinctive shoulders and waist belt is ideal for combining with a flounced dress or sweatshirt from the BERNINA Fashion Looks and looks particularly cool with sneakers.
So that the vest can be resewn as easily as possible, I have detailed instructions for you today. I show you with many pictures how to sew your own quilted vest.
The following materials are required for the quilted vest
- Walking foot #50
- Reverse pattern foot #1 C/ D
- Zipper foot #4 C/ D
- Heavy canvas cotton “washed-burn bronze” from Mind the Maker or Oilskin – 1.70 m
- Cotton fabric chrysanthemum “Autum” by Kaffe Fassett – 1.90 m
- Volume fleece R200 from Vliesline – 4 m
- Zipper divisible 65 cm
- sewing and overlock threads
- copy paper
- tracing wheel
- Bias Tape Maker 18 mm
- Prym spray adhesive, temporary
Preparations/cutting of fabric
sewing pattern
The pattern is part of the BERNINA Fashion Looks: Go to the “Monarda” waistcoat pattern.
Here you will find an overview of all cuts.
Open the pattern PDF and print out page 1 on DIN A4 paper with the setting «Original size». Check the control square – if it is 10 x 10 cm, then print out the entire pattern sheet. Place all pages together as indicated and glue together along the border lines. Cut out the pattern pieces of the appropriate size.
The pattern already includes all seam and hem allowances.
cutting
- Cut the back yoke, back and two front parts as indicated on the pattern from two fleece, one canvas and one lining fabric.
- Collar and facing made from canvas, lining and fleece.
- Cut out the tie belt from the canvas and lining fabric.
- Cut the pocket bag (oppositely) twice from canvas and twice from Kaffe Fassett fabric.
- Cut 3.8 cm wide bias strips from Kaffe Fassett fabric: 2x armhole width, 1x yoke length, 2x shoulder length, 4x side length, 1x hem length and 2x as a zipper panel.
- Iron all bias strips with the bias tape maker.
TIP: I don’t cut the bias binding until the pieces are sewn together. So I can measure exactly how much bias tape I need.
Sew a quilted waistcoat – let’s get started!
Sew a tie belt
Put the canvas and lining together right sides together and pin all around.
- Sew the belt together all the way around, leaving a turning opening of about 10 cm on one long side.
- Turn belt over and iron flat. Work out the corners and edges nicely.
- Fold the seam allowance inwards at the turning opening and pin together.
- Topstitch the belt all around with a narrow edge with a stitch length of 3 mm.
Stitch the belt twice lengthwise from the front. Distance to the long edge 1.5 cm / stitch length 3 mm.
Quilted pattern for the vest
First, the quilting lines are transferred from the pattern to the front (front parts, yoke and back part) of the corresponding canvas parts with the copy paper and the copy wheel.
Preparation for topstitching the yoke, back and front parts of the waistcoat:
- Lay the canvas part face down, spray the back with spray adhesive and glue batting to it.
- Also spray the first volume fleece with spray adhesive and stick the second volume fleece on it.
- Spray the second volume fleece again with spray adhesive and glue the corresponding lining part to it with the front facing up (!).
- Prepare the back yoke, both front and back pieces as a “sandwich”.
- Secure the layers with a few pins at the edges so that the layers do not shift.
Now the walking foot #50 is attached to the machine and the stitch length increased from the straight stitch to 3 mm.
Now, starting from the canvas side, topstitch the stitching lines transferred from the pattern through all four layers. It is best to stitch the straight transverse lines first so that the parts are somewhat fixed.
Then neaten all parts of the vest all around with the overlock machine. This makes the edge a little flatter and easier for further processing.
sew vest
Attach Reverse pattern foot #1C to the machine. Now hem the seam allowances of the side seams with bias strips:
- Pin the strip with the right side to the canvas and flush to the edge.
- Sew the strip a foot wide.
- Fold the strip around the seam allowance and pin on the inside of the seam allowance.
- Sew along a narrow edge from the front.
Pin the yoke to the back of the vest and sew, iron the seam allowance open.
If desired, the seam allowance can now be covered with a bias strip. To do this, place the ironed bias strip on the seam and place the ironed edges around/under the seam allowance. Pin the strips in place and then topstitch the seam narrowly from the front.
Close the shoulder seams of the vest and iron the seam allowance open. If desired, cover the seam allowance as with the yoke and topstitch the seam narrowly from the front.
Now border both armholes of the waistcoat with bias stripes. After the strip has been sewn on once from the front, fold strips 1 cm inwards at the ends (side seams). Now fold the strip inwards, pin and topstitch with a narrow edge. So the ends are neatened up straight away.
Insert pockets for the vest
First the two pocket bags are sewn. (Here the pocket pouches have been extended parallel to the side seam and hem.)
- Overcast all 4 long, straight edges with the serger.
- Assemble one canvas bag and one lining bag each, wrong sides facing each other.
- Sew the pocket bags together 5 mm deep on the side with the curve, leaving 3 cm open at the curve at the beginning.
- Turn the pocket bag inside out and iron the edge flat.
- Stitch the pocket bag from this side flush to the edge again 1 cm deep (French seam). Leave 3 cm open here as well.
Close the side seams of the vest
Measure 15 cm up from the hem and make a marker. From there, measure another 15 cm upwards (for the pocket opening) and also mark.
- Close the side seams except for this 15 cm pocket opening.
- Iron the seam allowance apart.
Place the pocket pouch inside the vest with the canvas facing up. The long side is flush with the side seam and the short side is flush with the hem.
- The long lining edge is pushed under the seam allowance and sewn twice from the front to the seam allowance. Stitch once in the seam of the bias strip and once narrow-edged on the edge.
- Lay the long edge of the canvas over the side seam, flush with the bound outer edge of the second seam allowance. Seam allowance of the side seam is completely covered.
- Sew the lengthwise edge of the canvas to the seam allowance with a zigzag stitch, stitch width 5 mm.
- Iron the pocket bag flat, pin it at the hem and fix it to the cotton fabric at the curve with a few stitches.
- Also fix the seam allowances at the armholes with a few stitches.
Sew the collar of the vest
Put both collar pieces together right sides together and pin.
- Close the long outer edge, iron the seam allowance towards the lining and topstitch with a narrow edge.
- Glue the fleece to the left side of the canvas collar with adhesive spray.
- Lay collars on top of each other and iron flat.
- Tuck the canvas collar into the neckline and sew.
Sew the front of the vest
Put the two panels together right sides together and pin them in place.
- Sew the outer edge together with the curves, leaving the straight long edge open.
- Turn and iron the facing.
- Slide fleece into the panel and fix with adhesive spray.
Pin the facing to the right front piece directly below the collar, flush with the front edge. Sew on the panel a foot wide, do not sew the seam allowance of the neckline and collar.
Attach the zipper for the vest
Pin one part of the zipper (right sides together) to each of the two front parts. Starting from the collar, pin the tape from the zipper flush to the front edge. The seam allowance of the collar and the neckline is folded upwards.
- Sew both parts together with Zipper foot #4.
- Place two diagonal strips (over the entire length up to the hem) with the right side facing the zipper and pin flush with the front edge. The zipper is sandwiched between bias stripes and the vest.
- Sew narrow bias strips and iron to one side.
- Stitch both strips with a narrow edge and fix the seam allowances in this way.
- Fold the bias strips and seam allowance inwards, pin and iron everything flat.
At the collar, fold the seam allowance at the front edge inwards and pin. Iron the seam allowance at the neckline into the collar. At the collar lining, fold 1 cm of seam allowance inwards and pin at the seam.
Hand-sew the bias stripes on the zipper and the collar lining all the way around.
Sew the hem of the vest
Sew a bias strip down the entire length of the hem. Make sure that the band is not sewn.
- Topstitch bias strips and seam allowance with a narrow edge.
- Fold the strips inwards and pin in place, folding the strips inwards about 1.5 cm at the beginning and end.
Sew this bias strip by hand as well.
Have fun with the new vest!
