How to Make a Quilted Vest

Inspect the fabric you have chosen for the front of your vest. Decide what kind of pattern you wish to quilt on it. Vertical and horizontal lines, or diagonal lines in both directions, are both simple designs that are easy for a beginner. Or you can quilt around specific areas of a patterned fabric if you wish to highlight design aspects of the print. Make this decision before you begin assembly.

Iron your fabric. Unfold your pattern and dry iron the pattern to take out any creases. Cut out the pattern pieces in your specified size as determined after consulting the pattern and your measurements. Lay your fabric face down and cut out your pieces. Cut out two muslin pieces that replicate your vest front pieces. Cut out two batting pieces that replicate your vest front pieces.

Pile each vest front piece with a corresponding layer of batting and muslin pieces in that order to create two quilt "sandwiches." Pin the layers of each piece in place. Baste the layers of each piece together in lines approximately 1 inch apart. Check the edges of the layers to make sure they still match. Remove the pins. Replace the standard foot on the machine with a walking foot. Thread the machine with machine quilting thread.

Quilt each piece separately in the pattern you have chosen. Make sure that a chosen geometric pattern goes in opposite directions on each piece, so that when the vest is worn the patterns look like mirror images of each other. Do not worry about this if you are quilting around a specific print on your fabric.

Take off the walking foot when you are finished quilting and replace with your conventional foot. Assemble the vest according to the pattern instructions. Treat the quilted sections as you would treat the front fabric piece during the construction of a standard vest. Add buttonholes, buttons and other attachments as specified in the pattern.