My next project is going to be a quilted cotton vest with an healty amount of pockets and a light hood.
I plan to use IKEA's BOMULL undyed unbleached light cotton in 8 layers for the vest and 4 layers for the hood. A variant with nylon or something like that for the external layers could be useful against wind and rain, but than you would have to take more care to keep the stitching waterproof.
Currently I've made the patterns for the back (with pocket) and the front (still no pockets); I've made a single layer mock-up that fits, so I believe that the instruction can be used for a simple vest, possibly with applied pockets.
I've also completed the pattern for the hood: it works fine for my size, already tested with a mock-up but I'm not sure it scales well to other sizes, so I strongly suggest to be careful when using it.
Gallery
Pattern
You will need the following measurements:
- from the base of the neck to the bottom of the finished vest;
- the widest measurement between bust, waist (actually, belly) and hips;
- from the base of the neck to waist;
- back width, from arm to arm just under armpits;
Back
On a big sheet of paper, trace a rectangle high as the desidered lenght (1) and wide as (2) divided by four + 3 cm. From A measure (3) + 1.5 cm toward B, let it be E; from E measure (3) / 2 toward A, let it be F, and again (3) / 4 from F toward A, let it be (G). From E, F and G trace horizontal lines toward e, f and g respectively (waist line, bustline and quarterline). From A measure 7-9 cm toward D, then 1.5-2.5 cm upward, mark a and unite it to A with a curve (neck).
Mark (4) / 2 from F to f, let it be H, and from A to D, let it be h, trace the line Hh; call I the intersection between Gg and Hh. Measure 1 cm from I toward G, let it be J. Measure 6 cm from f toward C, let it be K
Now make a straight line ah and a curve hJK and complete the pattern.
About 6 cm above F, place the upper left angle of a rectangle 12 x 33 cm (pocket position). The back pocket is made with two rectangles: 27x41 cm and 27x34.5 cm and can be taken straight from the xfig source printed at 500% magnification.
Front
On another sheet of paper, trace a rectangle high as the desidered lenght (1) - 3 cm and wide as (2) divided by four + 3 cm. From A measure (3) + 1.5 cm toward B, let it be E; from E measure (3) / 2 toward A, let it be F, and again (3) / 4 from F toward A, let it be (G). From E, F and G trace horizontal lines toward e, f and g respectively (waist line, bustline and quarterline). From A measure the same amount of the back toward D plus 1 cm, mark and let it be a; mark the same lenght from A toward B and unite it to a with a curve (neck).
Mark (4) / 2 from F to f, let it be H, and from A to D, let it be h, trace the line Hh; call I the intersection between Gg and Hh. Measure 6 cm from f toward C, let it be K. Measure 1.5-2.5 cm from H toward I, then 1 cm horizontally toward the DC line; call it J.
Now make a straight line aJ and a curve JIK and complete the pattern.
[front pockets still to be planned]
Hood
This instructions give a pattern for a small hood that fits well my own size of vest and head. Since the pattern was based mostly on guesswork and knowdlege of the basic shape of a hood, I strongly suggest that you make a mock-up to check both the hood size and the lengh of the line that will be attached to the neck of the vest.
To make a deeper hood, I think that you should make an higher rectangle, move G a few cm back, and maybe move it a little higher. (Disclaimer: I didn't test this change.)
Trace another rectangle, 35 cm high and as wide as 2.5 times the Aa distance in the front pattern. Measure half this width from C to B, measure 5 cm upward and mark E. Measure 6 cm from B to A, measure 2 cm to the right and mark F. Measure 16 cm from A, measure 2 cm to the left and mark G
Trace a curve CEF as long as half the neck width of the front and back, then a curve FGD, and finish the pattern with a straight line DC.