Ruffle Vest Tutorial

POSTED BY Morgan Hungerford, 15 February 2008

Alright, last week was fashion week in NYC and If you've been keeping up with pictures from the runway shows you'll know that not only are we in for a very dark Fall 2008 (black is the new black, if you were wondering), but ribbons, ruffles, and bows are on the radar, big time. Luckily they're of a quiet and ladylike sort, and they function more as a point of interest rather than a HUGE GIRLY OBSTRUCTION randomly placed on any old garment (well, except over at Benjamin Cho, where things may have gotten a little out of hand). One of my favorite examples of this upcoming Autumn trend was in the form of a rather large, face-framing "ruffle vest" at the James Coviello show (pictured above; that photo and the rest of the show can be viewed at NYMag.com). It's such a pretty, interesting piece and like much of the rest of the Fall '08 looks, it's totally appropriate for NOW - so why not make our own cozy, scarf-like version to wear while we're sitting around waiting for Winter to end and Spring to begin?

All you'll need for this project is about 2 yards of medium-weight felt (I used a lightweight white felt and it was a little flimsy - as a result I had to add an additional layer for support. If you're smitten with the looks of mine then go ahead and double up with some lightweight stuff, otherwise just save yourself some work and use felt that's a little more heavy duty - it's up to you!), a measuring tape, scissors, straight pins, and a sewing maching. Let's get started!

1. Fold your 2-yards of fabric in half lengthwise, then measure, mark, and carefully cut your fabric so it measures about 12 inches wide.

2. Fold and pin your fabric into vertical pleats at the intervals of your choosing - mine were spaced intermittently and resulted in pretty, unexpected folds, but you can totally space them evenly if you heart symmetry. Be sure to pin at the top, middle, and bottom of each pleat. When you've finished, drape it around your neck like a scarf, then pull the ends behind you under your arms (see the picture accompanying step 4 if you need guidance!). You'll want to make sure that the ends of the rectangle are able to meet up comfortably (and overlap just slightly) at the middle of your back. Take it off, then go ahead and trim any excess fabric.

3. Once you've trimmed any excess and you've achieved the PERFECT LENGTH, fold your rectangle in half lengthwise. Using your scissors, trim loooong triangle shapes from the top and bottom of the rectangle, with the tippy tops of the triangles starting at the top and bottom of the folded edge. Once you've cut your triangles and unfold your fabric, you should have a very elongated diamond shape.

4. Drape your fabric over your shoulders and pull the ends behind you, under your arms (just like in step 2!). Pin the ends of the fabric together, then head to the sewing maching. Sew a line of stitches vertically across the middle line of your fabric to secure the folds, then go over that line several more times just to make sure it's sewn up tight. Trim any unruly edges so your vest is smooth all the way around, and voila!

I decided to REALLY go Spring08 with my scarf and dip-dye/tye-dye it for an ombre effect. I plan on wearing it to dress up and lend interest to basic tees and dresses, and it looks great peeking out of the collar of my winter coat! How are you planning on wearing YOURS??