Seeing as Summer Kid’s Clothes Week is next week (eek!), I figured it was time to share my last project from Spring KCW!

Here’s my take on the fantastic Aztec Hooded Vest from See Kate Sew.

I held off on sharing during the actual week because I wanted to keep at least one thing I made a surprise for the recipient (well, his mom). And then, of course, I completely forgot about it! So I’m sharing it with you now… Better late than never, right?

The pattern is available from See Kate Sew here. The instructions were clear and easy to follow and it came together fairly quickly. I used a super soft navy sweatshirt fleece for the outside, and the inside is another favorite print from Jay McCarroll. I’m loving the combination of navy and mustard.

Pretty fun, isn’t it? And yes, it’s completely reversible!

As suggested, I added some topstitching to the outside to give it a bit of a quilted look. It’s subtle, but a very nice detail. And the open welt pockets are a fun addition. I love that the lining fabric just barely peeks out.

And what about that oversized hood? Too cute!

I think my biggest struggle was finding the right reversible zipper… Until I realized how easy it was to make my own! This was a bit of a “duh” moment for me. I’ve altered plenty of plastic zippers, but the thought of doing this to a metal zipper never crossed my mind.

It’s totally doable, and really not that hard! Here’s a great tutorial if you want to give it a try.

I bought a metal reversible separating zipper from Jo-Ann Fabric to start with. This one has a double-tab zipper pull (above left), which means that each side has its own pull. I wasn’t crazy about how it looked so I ordered a replacement pull like this (above right). I also picked up a few extra top stops (those things that keep your zipper from coming off the ends). These are good to have if you’re planning on shortening zippers. You can sometimes reuse the originals but they’re nice to have just in case one breaks. And keep in mind, if you’re ordering replacement pieces, make sure you order the correct size!

Over all, I’m very happy with how this turned out. I’ve already got a few more planned in my head… And is it weird that I want one in my size too?

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo