A couple notes on patterns:
This first one, for making a vest, I discovered on another WIP thread. It's apparently a vintage pattern, so I could only find it online. The nice thing about that is it was cheaper, even with shipping, than a lot of new patterns you find at, say, Joann's. I got it from a little site called Pattern-Walk.com, and they left this little thank you note, which was a nice personal touch. It did take a little longer than expected in the mail, but hey, with times as they've been, it's not too much of a surprise. The thing to be aware with vintage/used patterns is they might already be cut. This can be convenient, or make the pattern too small. I think I'll be fine in this case, though.
This second pattern I got new. I will have to add a zipper, which isn't included in this pattern, and find a way to hide it. This pattern is intended for stretchy fabric, so I might have to make a couple other little modifications. It was all I could find after a bit of searching that was simple and non-frilly. Haha. I'll of course have to make it look like part of a one-piece flight suit.
Also, here's something my mom taught me that might be helpful when it comes to patterns. Cut out the largest size, even if you're a smaller size. Then cut it into tabs so you can fold them down to your size. Then if you find the pattern runs small, or if you want to use the it again years later and you've grown a bit sideways, you still have the larger sizes to work with. I've also been learning with my last couple projects why my mom never took shortcuts with the instructions. I am not as patient (or ambitious) as she was with sewing, but I'm finding it actually makes life easier to just go through all the tedious steps. In fact this time, I think I'm going to add some extra rows of stitching along the seams for reinforcement.
