I spotted this fabric during last year’s SewBrum meet-up, in October 2021, in Barry’s Fabrics, and couldn’t resist trying a chunky Clove Vest.
The Clove Vest pattern is designed to be made in medium-weight knits, and this is most definitely a heavy-weight knit fabric, but I love how it turned out! I made my normal pattern size (size 10), although you could size up for a bit more ease if using a similar fabric.
I sewed the vest without making any adjustments to the pattern or instructions. The only step which was more difficult was sewing the v-neck, due to needing to sew through 5 layers of fabric. My sewing machine struggled to cope, so I stitched the bottom of the v-neck by hand – and then carried on as per the instructions. (P.S. If you’re having any trouble sewing the v-neck, I’ve filmed a tutorial to help you along).
If you’re sewing the D-Cup size range (which includes a bust dart), you might find using a heavy weight fabric adds too much bulk at the darts, and you might want to snip off the seam allowance after sewing the darts (rather than pressing down).
I wouldn’t recommend a heavy-weight fabric for your first Clove (stick to the pattern fabric recommendations), but once you’re familiar with the v-neck construction and the fit, it makes for a fun and easy ‘hack’. I’ve really enjoyed wearing this version this winter, but the weather is improving and I’m expecting (hoping!) to be sticking to my lighter weight versions for the next few months.
