Are you looking for a quick, beginner-friendly layering piece to add a handmade touch to your wardrobe? This Women’s Tie Front Vest is the perfect project! Light, breezy, and reversible, it’s ideal for wearing over dresses, tees, and even turtlenecks as seasons change.
This vest pattern is available as a free PDF in bust sizes 30–44 inches (XS–XXL), ensuring you can sew a comfortable fit just for you. The gentle curved front, sweet tie closure, and simple lines make it a timeless piece you’ll reach for again and again.
Best of all, this vest is fully reversible! Choose a pretty floral cotton on one side and a classic stripe or solid on the other for two looks in one. You can play with your favorite prints and colors, adding contrast bias binding for that extra pop.
There are three versions of this vest that you can choose from:
Version 1: No Ties:
A detailed step-by-step sewing tutorial for version 1 is given here.
Version 2: With Ties:
Version 3: With Ties and Bias Binding:
If you’re new to garment sewing, this project is a fantastic confidence builder, letting you practice neat bias finishing and reversible construction without complicated closures. Pair it with jeans for everyday wear or throw it over a dress for an effortless layered look.
Ready to stitch your own reversible vest? Download the free PDF sewing pattern and step into your sewing space with excitement!
Click the link below to browse all the free PDF sewing patterns for women:
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Sewing Supplies Needed:
1. Fabric
2. Free printable PDF sewing pattern (pattern link is given below)
4. Sewing machine (I am using Janome and Bernina. Both are excellent sewing machines. Brother is equally good too. I have heard good reviews about it.)
5. Sewing machine thread (I prefer using Gütermann and Coats, which are of great quality.)
6. Tape measure
7. Sewing pins
8. Serger (I am using Brother M343D, which works great.)
Pattern Assembly:
The diagram below is given as a guide to assemble the pattern pages. There are 8 pages in the pattern PDF. And these pages are arranged as shown in the diagram.
Seam allowance is included in the pattern, which is 1/2 inch all around.
*Note: This pattern includes approximately 3 inches of ease around the bust line. However, if you have a fuller bust or plan to make a quilted vest, consider adding ¾ inch or more to each side seam of both the front and back pieces. Additionally, if you intend to wear the vest over a shirt or top made of heavier fabric, you may wish to lower the armhole by about an inch—or adjust it further based on your preference.
Fabric Requirement for the Reversible Tie Front Vest
Recommended Fabric:
Light to medium-weight cotton, linen, cotton lawn, lightweight denim, chambray, or rayon blends.
Fabric Requirement Chart:
Here is the fabric requirement chart for the reversible tie front vest (XS–XXL) in both metres and yards, for main fabric and lining.
Additional Notes:
✅ If you wish to make your own bias tape for armholes and neckline, add 0.25 m (0.3 yd) extra of either fabric for bias strips.
✅ Fabric widths assumed: 44–60 inches (112–150 cm).
✅ If using directional prints, consider adding 0.1 m (0.1 yd) for pattern matching.
✅ You can use the same fabric for the main and lining for a single-sided vest if desired.
How to cut the fabric pieces?
Main fabric -- 2 front pieces mirroring each other
Lining fabric -- 1 back piece cut on fold
Recommended Tie Dimensions
Width (before folding/sewing)
- 2 inches
This finishes to about 3/4 inch once sewn and turned, which looks clean and proportional on most body sizes. (you can increase the width, if you prefer a wider tie.)
Length (per tie)
This depends on how dramatic you want the bow to be. Here are reliable ranges:
Standard bow (most common)
- 18–22 inches (46–56 cm) per tie
Long, drapey bow
- 24–30 inches (61–76 cm) per tie
Short, minimal tie (knot only, no bow)
- 12–16 inches (30–36 cm) per tie
How to choose the right length for your vest
Think about:
- Bust size: Larger busts need slightly longer ties to reach around the curve comfortably.
- Fabric thickness: Thicker fabrics = longer ties for a graceful bow.
- Styling preference:
- Soft, romantic bow → longer
- Clean, modern knot → shorter
For this reversible vest pattern, each tie can be:
22 inches long × 2 inches wide (cut)
This finishes to a 3/4-inch-wide tie, if you use the tube method, with enough length for a pretty bow on all sizes.
How to Make the Vest Ties -- 1. The Tube Method
(Assuming you’re making a finished tie about 3/4 inch wide and 18–22 inches long)
1. Cut your tie pieces
- Cut two rectangles per tie.
Example: - 2 inches wide × desired length (e.g., 22 inches).
2. Fold right sides together
- Fold the strip lengthwise, right sides touching.
- You now have a long skinny rectangle.
3. Sew the long edge
- Stitch with a ¼ inch seam allowance.
- Leave both short ends open.
4. Turn the tube right‑side out
- Use a turning tool, safety pin, or chopstick.
- Press the tie flat so the seam runs along one edge.
5. Finish one end of the short edge
You have three options:
Option 1 — Straight end
- Fold the raw edges inside by ¼ inch.
- Press and topstitch.
Option 2 — Straight end (prettier for bows)
- Before turning the tube, sew the short end with a ¼ inch seam allowance, trim, then turn.
- Press and topstitch if desired.
Option 3 — Angled end (prettier for bows)
- Before turning the tube, sew the short end at a 45° angle, trim, then turn.
- Press and topstitch if desired.
How to Make the Vest Ties -- 2. The Bias Tape-Style Fold Method (I have used this method in this tutorial)
1. Cut your tie pieces
- Cut two rectangles per tie.
Example: - 2 inches wide × desired length (e.g., I have taken the length as 16 inches in this tutorial).
2. Fold the edges
- Fold the short edges of the strip down the wrong side by 1/4 inch.
- Fold the long edges of the strip down the wrong side by 1/2 inch (or 1/4 inch). Here I did an 1/2 inch fold.
- Fold the strip in half lengthwise. This will give you a 1/2-inch wide tie. If you want it even wider, then you may have to increase the width of the tie pieces.
3. Sew around the edges
- Sew along the folded edges, both the long and short edges.
4. The ties are ready! This is the easiest method for beginner sewists.
Sewing the Vest:
- Join the shoulders of outer and lining--Join the shoulders of the front and back pieces of the main and lining fabric.
Press open the shoulder seams.
- With right sides of the main and lining facing, sew the armholes, neckline, and the center front upto the hemline where it curves.
Sandwich the ties between the lining and main at this point, as shown in the image, if you prefer only the ties at the front and not to add in the bias tape around the center front and neckline.
- Clip curves, turn right side out, and press neatly.
This is how it should look now. I didn't sandwich the ties in the previous stage, as I preferred to use bias tape all around the the edges in this tutorial.
- Match and sew the side seams for both layers.
With the main fabric front and back pieces together and lining fabric front and back pieces together, pin the side seams of the top and sew in one continuous seam on each side.
In the above image, you see the back pieces. The front pieces are aligned underneath the corresponding back pieces.
- With right sides facing, sew around the hemline, starting from one curved edge to the other curved edge, leaving a small opening in between.
- Turn the vest inside out through the opening, and close that gap by hand using a slip stitch or ladder stitch for a super neat, nearly invisible finish on the outside.
For the vest with ties and bias binding all around follow the steps below:- With right sides together, join the shoulders of both the main and lining front and back pieces. Press the seams open.
- Place the main and lining wrong sides together, and pin the sides, neckline, center front, hemline, and armholes, and sew them together. (for this version, you don't have to
- Sew the front ties where you want them to be on both edges of the center front.
- With the main side of the vest facing up, sew one long edge of the bias binding around the neckline, centre front edges, hemline, and armholes, using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Trim the seam allowance to 1/4 inch to reduce bulk. Fold the bias binding over to the lining side of the vest, then stitch along the folded edge to secure it in place.
- Before sewing the bias tape around the entire vest, you can, if preferred, sew straight strips of fabric (1.5 inches wide) to the sides of the vest, using the same fabric as the bias tape. Fold and press the long edges of each strip under by 1/4 inch before sewing them in place. Alternatively, you can also use a half-inch-wide double-folded bias tape. This will create the same finish as shown in the pattern sample image below.
Finishing:
Press the vest.
-
Do optional topstitching for neatness.
I have provided a reversible bolero vest sewing tutorial for 18 inch dolls here with free PDF sewing pattern. Do check it out.
Happy sewing!
---Flora
2 comments:
Are there measurements for the ties? Or outlining ?
I made this as my first sewing project !
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