TFA Connix Build Thread & Vest Making Tipps - Complete

[AlCeRey ()]

Hi all! In 2020 I finally tackled the project of making my own costume for Connix in TFA! I compiled my entire build in a guide-like PDF that you can download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RPJtWTtSdxXB8QvP0Stp5JjGALlVABe5/view?usp=drivesdk

For the Connix CRL by the Rebel Legion, click here: http://newsite.rebellegion.com/kayden-ko-connix-generic-controllers-tfa/



The Vest:

I just love this crop-top type vest and I was super excited to make my own. I'm a newbie to patterning, so my pattern was created by trial and error. I used an old t-shirt pattern to get the placement of the armholes and the shoulder width right. For everything else i used the technique of "draping", where you pin the fabric to your body or a dressform and shape it by making lots of darts.



I plan on digitalizing my pattern in the future, but until then here are photos of the 3 pattern pieces I came up with:





The construction:

(1) Cut all your cotton pieces 2 times and 1 piece of batting. Then you layer the fabric cotton-cotton-batting and then sew them together, leaving the future finished-vest seams open.






(2) Cut the surplus batting away from the seam allowance, but leave the cotton seam allowance intact. Clip the corners, then you turn the separate pieces through those openings.





(3) Topstitch the pieces all along the edge, about 5mm away from the edge. Mark your quilting lines with a wash-away marker (or a heat-vanishing marker). It's helpful if you pin the pieces together as a wearable vest and draw one line on each piece while wearing it. This will help the lines be perfectly vertical when you wear the finished piece later. Also make sure the quilt lines are all 1” apart from each other and are parallel. Neat work is key here or the whole vest will look off later.




(4) Then you quilt. Make sure you quilt on the right side of the fabric, and hold your fabric steady and pull a little so that there won’t be a bulk once you reach the bottom. For better results, grab two pieces of scrap cotton and a piece of leftover batting and practice quilting first.




(6) Once all the pieces are quilted, you zig-zag or overlock the raw edges.
Mark your seam allowances. Then pin the pieces together and sew as if with a normal, single-layer garment.



(7) Now your vest is basically finished. I blind-stitched the seam allowances to the main fabric so it will lay nice and flat while being worn. I sewed a strip of Velcro to the underlap of the vest with my machine, and hand-sewed on the matching strip on the with a blind stitch. I also added a snap to the center of the vest as that seems to have been done on screen.




(8) Now all that’s left is drawing the red distressed rebel bird symbol on the left shoulder. First, I made a cardboard template to get a neat shape.
Then I used fabric paints to mix a rather dark red color. I applied the color with a piece of sponge and then filled out the rest of the symbol with a fine brush. The type of fabric paint I used needed to dry and then be pressed with an iron to fix it to the fabric.



(9) And your vest is done! Pat yourself on the back and add a label.







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MTFBWY

[RebelLady (Kristina Gundersen)]

Yay! Posting worked! Thank you, Alicia- it's really helpful to have process pictures and and descriptions for how people did their builds. Super appreciate you sharing. <3

You were able to achieve a really nice fit by draping the vest and adjusting your toile/mock up.
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