Vesting into the New Year

Happy New Year to my favorite sewing peeps! Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and amazing year, filled with gorgeous, yummy fabrics! 😀

What better way to kick off 2025 than with a cozy and stylish make?
Love Notions, as usual, nailed it with the perfect pattern!

The Evanston is such a versatile piece—great for layering as the weather starts to change. Whether you’re braving the cold outdoors or just want a bit of extra warmth indoors, it’s exactly what you need for max coziness.

And let me tell you, this pattern is so easy and quick to sew that I managed to whip up three of these beauties in the middle of all the holiday chaos! 😉

I’ve got two vests to share (the third was a first fit and the pattern’s changed a little since then) and a fun little hack, so let’s dive in!

High Hip with Button Placket

I couldn’t have started the new sewing year any happier! This Evanston Vest turned out exactly how I imagined it when I first saw the pattern line drawings. 😍

I used a lightweight sweater knit I found at my local fabric shop and added these dainty daisy buttons that I think I got from Temu (I tend to hoard these things and somehow forget the origins lol).

Honestly, I’ve been wearing this vest non-stop!

Here, I paired it with an Aria I made with puff sleeves (you can read more about that on my Encore skirt post). And while I totally forgot to snap a pic of it, this vest also looks adorable over a shirt dress. It’s super on-trend, especially with a cute pair of boots!

Below Hip, V-neck, Split Hem

When I first saw this pattern, I was immediately drawn to the shorter version of the vest and didn’t think the longer one would be “my vibe”… but oh was I wrong!

When I was about to cut the v-neck option (a must-have for me), I decided to give the longer length a try. If I didn’t like it, I could always chop it off. So glad I gave it a shot because I love it!

The fabric is a medium-weight sweater knit, perfect for this pattern. I had originally planned on making an Aria dress in navy linen to pair with these vests, but with the holiday hustle and bustle, I didn’t get around to it… YET. It’s still high on my list!

Here, I paired it with a RTW shirt dress, and I think it looks adorable. For my Dutch peeps, the dress was a koopje from Hema! 😉

One thing I’d change on this vest: I’d lower the pocket placement by about 2 inches. But that’s a problem for another day (aka future Livia’s issue)! 😂

And remember I said I had a cheeky hack to share?

Separate Cowl “hack”

I can hardly call it a hack since it’s so simple, but here it is: I have a love/hate relationship with cowls. They always look gorgeous, cozy, and elegant, but sometimes they bug me to no end when I’m wearing them. The Evanston cowl is awesome though, it has the perfect amount of fabric and it drapes beautifully.

So, with pretty much every pattern that involves a cowl I want to make, I do this:

I sew the cowl as a separate piece. I sew it as per the pattern, finish the bottom (either by hemming, using bias tape, or just serging it when I’m feeling lazy, as the bottom isn’t visible), and then wear it or remove it at my discretion.

wo looks in one sew—if that’s not a win, I don’t know what is! Haha!

And as a final bonus, here’s that first fit one I mentioned:

The pattern has changed a little since I made this first fit (so it doesn’t reflect the final version), but I still LOVE this one! I plan on adding buttons and wearing it for sure. I just wanted to share it with you to show how it looks with a heavier sweater knit. I call it my Grandpa-Core vest, and I’m obsessed with it! 😉

The changes to the pattern were minimal, so if you like this version, you could just lengthen the high hip option a little.

Oh, and one final thing before I go.
I figure it would be handy to have a side by side of the two necklines I made to compare how deep each is:

If you want to add Evanston to your pattern collection, here’s the scoop:

EVANSTON VEST – It releases today and you can grab it with release price $9.50 through Thursday, January 16th. Plus for an EXTRA 10% OFF use my code YayLivia

Today is the LAST DAY of the New Year Sale (30% OFF – excludes Pianoforte and Evanston).
If you use my code YayLivia35 you’ll get 35% off instead!

And as a cherry on top, LN put together a handy-dandy Sewing Tool Kit. A pdf with some practical information to help you find the right fabrics and achieve the right fit, as well as a LN pattern library check list and a template to help you organize your next projects.
To get the Sewing Tool Kit for FREE, simply make a purchase using the code NEWYEAR30 for 30% off, or purchase the Evanston pattern (with or without my YayLivia code). The PDF will be included in your downloads after your transaction!

I know it sounds a bit complicated, but if you have any questions, send me a message and I’ll do my best to help you out!

xxx, Livia

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