DIY: Fur Vest and Belt

I've been obsessed with fur vests lately. However, nice ones are hard to come by. I wanted to make a belt and vest ensemble, but the belt came up too wide, especially since the vest is a short vest. I originally wanted a thinner, leather belt, but they didn't have fake leather in stock and that made me unhappy :'(


What you'll need:
1. Faux Fur- I got 3/4 of a yard from Mood in NY. That place is the best. 
2. Closures- I got a zipper that wasn't separating >.> Go me
3. Lining- The underside of faux fur is rough, kinda like carpet. I went for a cheap polyester one
4. Belt Material - I went with an elastic because they didn't have pleather. 
5. Closure for belt- I went with snaps (size 2) 
6. Belt Buckle


Everything was gotten from Mood


Step 1: Make yo design/pattern. 
A vest is literally a rectangle with holes for arms. You want to measure across your shoulder, your arm hole+ 1 inch or so so you don't feel restricted, and the front should be half of shoulder+ 2 inches. That's because you have a width and you are 3D. Add more if you need more width. 

Step 2: Draw out your pattern on faux fur. 
You want to basically draw out the rectangle. Don't worry about length, worry about width. When cutting faux fur, lay it so that the fur is on the table. If you use scissors, you want to slide the tip so that it only cuts the backing. Don't just go crazy and chop it with large snips. If you do, then it'll shed like crazy. If you try to cut only the backing, you'll have minimal shedding. It only sheds where you cut. Then it stops. You want to leave an inch for later. 

Step 3: Basting/Cut armholes
Normally I would attach the lining first, but this time I won't. Baste the shoulder seams. Then, cut a large slit for the armhole. Then, make a "v" for your neckline and baste that as well. 

After basting the shoulder seams and neckline

Step 4: Sew your heart out with a machine. 
This is the only time you will machine sew. Sew the shoulder seams. 


Step 5: Attaching the lining. 
You want to attach the lining with this method on the armholes, shoulder, back, neckline and bottom hem. I actually did the bottom hem second to last because I didn't cut the bottom until I did the shoulder seams. What you basically do is fold the faux fur over the lining, and stich using a ladder or whip stich (or both!)

Completed the armholes, neckline, back. You fold the fur back onto the lining and that's how you get a circular armhole. 

Step 6: Sewing the rest of the front. 
Hopefully you've left the part that would hold closures (zipper, fur hooks etc) unlined. Basically this time you want to fold the lining so that it lines up with the fur. I'm doing it this way because I don't want the fur to be rolled over. I want the closure to rest on the polyester. It'll be easier to sew that way. BTW, I fold the fur over the lining to make a more "soft" look. If you dont' want that, then use said method to attach the lining to the fur. 



Step 7: Cutting the Bottom and lining it
If you have not done so already, figure how how short you want the vest and cut cut cut! Make sure to leave a 1.5 inch hem to fold up onto the lining. 


Step 8: Attaching the Closure
'Nuff said. Attach the closure. 


Making the belt


Step 1: Hem the elastic
I folded over 2 inches of the elastic and used the elastic stitch on the sewing machine. 


Step 2: Attach snaps
ATTACH YO SNAPS. 

Freaking annoying. 


Step 3: Attach yo buckle
I did it by sewing it on. 

Finished garments

Poop. The belt is much too wide. Hopefully I can find material to make a new belt! If not, oh well. I still have a cute vest and a cute belt! Expect OOTD!