Shelley is a huge fan of the "Little Things to Sew" book and even organized a Cover to Cover Challenge a few years back. Today, she's here to talk about the Explorer Vest pattern featured in the book. Over to you, Shelley!
Recently, someone in the Oliver + S Facebook group asked about customizing the Explorer Vest for active little adventurers. It didn't take long for a lively discussion to unfold, with everyone sharing their ideas on how to personalize the vest.
One of the best ways to add a personal touch to the vest is by incorporating patches. These can either be iron-on or sew-on, and can reflect the child's interests or achievements. Katybellabug created a delightful bug collector's vest featuring a ladybug patch, enhanced with hand-stitched details showing the bug's path across the pocket. A small piece of folded ribbon was added as a cute tag tucked under the stitched pocket edge.
Melissa used patches her boys had earned by picking up litter. Inspired by their "Smokey's Helper" vests, the boys continued their eco-friendly efforts, collecting even more trash.
When it came to making my own vest, I was inspired by one from Marlene ("Nanamar" on Flickr). She cleverly used a printed fabric piece as a patch, keeping it in line with the vest's lining fabric. An elastic loop was added under the pocket to hold a removable mini flashlight.
Brightly colored cord elastic, like those from elastic hair ties, works great too. Just ensure you stitch through the braided threads around the elastic when attaching them, and they'll stay securely in place.
For my nephew's vest, I salvaged a lanyard to use its clips and twill tape. We seem to accumulate quite a collection of lanyards from various memberships and events we attend.
The plastic lanyard clip proved perfect for holding a small flashlight that could be removed during washes. The longer twill tape was sewn inside the pocket to attach a compass. This way, the compass stays secure but can be held level without needing to be detached.
While some in the group suggested adding a whistle for safety, I paused to consider the practicality—would kids actually wait until needed? The addition of a whistle would need careful thought regarding the child's behavior and parental approval.
High visibility was another safety concern brought up in the Facebook conversation. Lyndsey took it a step further by using fluorescent fabric and reflective tape to create a perfect council worker vest for her son's Community Helper Day.
Deb used multiple D-rings and twill tape to add various attachment points on her vest. What I particularly loved was her innovative use of T-shirt Transfer Paper to create custom patches. She designed her own patches, printed them onto transfer paper, heat-fixed them onto a base fabric, and attached them just like commercial patches.
When that vest became too small, she made another one—and this time, her younger child got a matching mini version, complete with personalized patches.
A matching Little Things to Sew Reversible Bucket Hat completes the explorer's outfit. Sharon did exactly that, creating a cute Diego look-alike ensemble.
Sharon also modified the vest by replacing the overlapping buttons with a zipper. This can be done without altering the pattern pieces, though keep in mind it will result in a wider fit since the front panels won't overlap.
Karina had a brilliant idea by inserting grommets in the pocket flap to hang fishing lures, turning it into a clever design for a young fisherman's vest.
As I reflected on all these vests, I noticed one in progress on my Instagram feed. With her son's birthday approaching, MC was busy sewing him a Nerf gun ammo vest complete with a gun holder, fold-over elastic bullet holders, and larger elastic loops for ammo cartridges. She kindly shared some photos before wrapping it up as a surprise gift. Fingers crossed he doesn’t peek online before unwrapping!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
- Vests as Party Favours
- Explorer Vest with All the Accessories
- Outdoor Ready series
- Reversible Bucket Hat tutorial
- Little Things to Sew posts
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