Measurements and Sections

• 1). Number a piece of paper one through seven. Measure the circumference of the neck. Record this measurement next to number one. Measure the widest part of the shoulders for measurement two. Measure the widest part of the chest for measurement three. Measure the widest part of the hips for measurement four. Locate the indent in between the right and left clavicle. Measure the distance between this point and the horizontal hip measurement for number five. Measure the distance between the horizontal shoulder measurement and the area where the neck merges with the shoulder for measurement six. Measure the distance between the armpit to the tip of the longest finger for measurement seven.
  
  
• 2). Lay the canvas fabric on a flat surface in front of you. Fold the fabric in half twice.
  
  
• 3). Add 2 inches to measurement four and divide by four. Draw a horizontal line at the bottom of your fabric according to your calculation. This is the bottom of the vest.
  
  
• 4). Add 1 inch to measurement five. Draw a corresponding vertical line on the fabric so that the bottom intersects with the left side of the bottom of the vest. Mark the measurement as "zipper." Add 2 1/2 inches to the top of the vertical line and mark this as "edge."
  
  
• 5). Add 2 inches to measurement one and divide the calculation by four. Draw a horizontal line that originates at the edge marking and corresponds to your calculation. This is the collar of your vest.
  
  
• 6). Add 1 inch to measurement six. Draw a vertical line that originates from the right side of the collar. This is the shoulder.
  
  
• 7). Draw a vertical line that connects to the right side of the bottom of the vest and ends at the same height as the shoulder measurement. Connect the ends of the shoulder and the end of this line with a natural curved line.
  
  
• 8). Cut out the marked area using scissors. You will have four matching panels. Two panels will be used for the front of the vest and two will be used for the back of the vest.
  
  
• 9). Fold the remaining cloth in half twice. Add 5 inches to measurement seven and draw a corresponding horizontal line at the bottom of the fabric. This is the length of your sleeve.
  
  
• 10
  
  Draw a 3 1/2-inch vertical line that ends at the right edge of the sleeve. This is the wrist of your sleeve.
  
  
• 11
  
  Add 1 inch to measurement six and draw a corresponding vertical line that ends at the left edge of the sleeve. This is the shoulder of your sleeve. Connect the top of the two vertical lines with a straight line to form the top of the sleeve.
  
  
• 12
  
  Measure, mark and cut four 5-inch pieces of nylon strapping. These are the sleeve anchors. Measure, mark and cut two 23-inch pieces of nylon strapping. These are the sleeve straps.
  
  

Vest Assembly

• 1). Lay the two back pieces on top of each other so that all the edges align. Pin the edges together. Thread the sewing machine and sew the pieces together along the flat edge 1/4 inch from the edge of the fabric. Remove the pins and unfold the fabric. Lay it upside down on a flat surface.
  
  
• 2). Lay the two front pieces on top of the back of the vest so that the shoulders are aligned. Pin along the shoulder edge. Sew 1/4 inch from the pinned edge, leaving the shoulder openings open. Remove the pins.
  
  
• 3). Lay the four sleeve pieces out in two piles of two with the edges aligned. Pin along the top and bottom of each pile. Sew 1/4 inch from the pinned edge, leaving the shoulder and wrist openings open. Remove the pins.
  
  
• 4). Slide the shoulder opening of each sleeve into the inside of the vest. Align the shoulder of the sleeves with the shoulder of the vest. Pin the pieces together. Sew 1/4 inch from the pinned edge. Remove the pins.
  
  
• 5). Fold each sleeve anchor in half and thread each of them through two D rings. Lay the D rings against the wrist opening of each sleeve so that the edge of the nylon is against the edge of the opening. Fold each corner down snug against the sides of the nylon strapping. Pin the two layers of the wrist opening together over the nylon. Sew around the wrist every 1/4 inch from the wrist opening to the D ring. Turn the arms and vest inside out.
  
  

Accessories

• 1). Lay the jacket on a flat surface in front of you so that the front panels are facing you. Lay the zipper on top of the opening between the front panels. Unzip the zipper. Open the front of the vest and pin the corresponding zipper to the inside edge of each panel. Sew the zipper to the front panels.
  
  
• 2). Measure the waist opening. Add 3 inches to this measurement. Measure, mark and cut a corresponding piece of cotton webbing. Fold each end of the webbing over 1 1/2 inches. Sew 1/4 inch from the fold. Fold the webbing in half along the length of the material. Slide the webbing over the waistband, positioning the webbing so it starts and ends at the zipper. Sew the webbing to the vest 1/8 inch from the top edge of the webbing.
  
  
• 3). Measure the collar. Add 1 1/2 inches to the measurement. Measure, mark and cut a piece of fabric that is as long as your calculation and 2 1/2 inches wide. Fold the collar in half. Fold each end of the collar over 3/4 inch. Sew 1/4 inch from the folded edges. Turn the vest inside out and align the top of the collar with the top of the collar opening. Pin the pieces together and sew 1/4 inch from the edge. Turn the vest right side out.
  
  
• 4). Insert each of the two remaining pieces of nylon through two D rings. Position the bottom of the nylon against the bottom edge of each front panel at a 45-degree angle facing the sleeves. Sew the nylon to the front panel every 1/4 inch.
  
  
• 5). Connect one sleeve strap to each of the sleeve anchors on the sleeves.