Featured: Urban Wrap by Disappearing Creek Ranch

Step into a world where sculpture and the human form combine; where the lines of fashion and art blur and merge as one. This beautifully sculpted “urban wrap” vest from the Disappearing Creek Ranch company, comes with asymmetrical fronts that hug the body in all the right places and its uneven edges ‘confuse’ the eye, altering perception, and camouflaging figure faults we may think we have, all the while adding style and sophistication. Choose the double-faced fashion fabric that’s most comfortable and flattering for your body type, and know that with the generous lap over, fit can easily be adjusted.

You will need:

  • 1 yd. of felted wool, 54″ wide
  • Coordinating thread
  • Stick pin
  • Roll of kraft paper
  • Tracing wheel

MEASUREMENTS

Chest – measure just under the arms around the fullest part of the bust.

Backwaist length – measure from nape of neck to waistline.

Back width – measure from armhole to armhole across the shoulder blades.

PATTERN

Fold the kraft paper in half. The foldline will be the centreback.

Mark a point on the foldline and label it 1.

2 from 1 = backwaist length + 5″

3 from 1 = ½ backwaist length – 1 ½”

Square lines from 1, 2, and 3 across the paper.

4 from 3 = ½ the chest measurement + 2 ½”

Square a line up and down from 4.

Points 5 and 6 are located at the intersections of lines 1 and 2.

7 from 1 = ¾ backwaist length + 1½”

Square a line from 7 across the paper.

8 is located at the intersecting lines.

9 from 8 = 4″

Square line down from 9 to locate 10 and 11.

12 from 1 = ½ back width + 4″

Square a line down from 12 to locate 13 and 14 at the intersecting lines.

15 from 12 = distance from 12 to 14.

Join 14 and 15 with a straight line and locate 16, 2 inches from 14.

Draw a shallow curve from 12 passing through 16 and onto line 3.

17 from 5 = 4″

Draw a straight tangent line from 6 passing through 17.

Square a line from the tangent line radiating from point 13. Smooth point 13

with a blended curve.

Trace out lines 7-8-6-1 for the right-hand side of the collar.

Trace out lines 3-16-12-6-17-13-2 (blue lines) for the right-hand side of the vest.

The left-hand side of the vest is outlined in red.

Cut out lines 1-12 16-3.

Unfold the paper and rule off the tracing with a straightedge.

Cut out the vest and collar separately.

Grainlines run parallel to centerback.

Seam allowance is included in the patterndraft.

CUTTING

Due to the fabric surface being seen from both sides, a double-faced felted wool is suggested. *

Vest body – cut 1X self

Collar – cut 1X self

ASSEMBLY

  1. Staystitch the upper back and armscye of the vest about a ½” from the edge. Turn edge under to inside and baste down. Steam the rolled seam to relax it. Topstitch along rolled edge. Remove basting.
  2. Take the vest body (right side up) and the collar (wrong side up) and lay them side-by-side, along the neckline. Overlap the neck seams (1/2″) so the actual seam lines sit one on top of the other across the top of the garment.  The seam allowance from the collar should be hanging over into the body (the collar piece is on top) and the vest seam allowance should be towards the collar.  If you stitch down the seam line through both layers, you will have a seam allowance pointing toward the collar on one side of the garment, and a seam allowance pointing toward the body on the other side. Turn under the raw edge of one seam allowance and topstitch in place.  Repeat on the second seam allowance. This is a lapped seam technique.
  3. Staystitch the hemline about a ½” from the edge. Turn edge under to inside and baste down. Steam the rolled edge to relax and shape the curved edge. Topstitch along rolled edge. Remove basting.
  4. On the front edges from the neckline downward to hem, roll a double-roll edging along the fronts and slipstitch to hold in place.
  5. On outer edge of collar, turn under 1″ and topstitch in place. Trim close to stitching.

Hold vest close with a stick pin.

* Based on your selection of your fashion fabric, you may need to choose a more appropriate seam finish. Fabrics like felted wool do not fray. Ideally, a fine satin overlock would be appropriate if the fabric frays.