When it comes to “perfecting” patterns, it can be hard for me to leave well enough alone. I have so many ideas. I keep tweaking each iteration to make it EVEN BETTER than the last, at least in theory. I think watching Monty Python as a teenager further cemented the idea that a holy grail does exist.

This is my latest iteration of the Quest Vest. The remaining vestiges of the Fibre Mood Irma can be seen in the standing collar seam. You can see my first version here. I was definitely inspired by the #softapocalypse aesthetic.

If you’ve used Pinterest, this has happened to you. You find a photo of something you love, and the image link is dead. No source, no pattern, no directions, no online store, nothing.

That’s what happened when I was making a board while doing Curated Closet, a way of streamlining your style so you can make better decisions about your wardrobe and what you add to it.

I found the pin, and put it on the inspiration board. I was sad it was a dead link, but it happens, no big deal.

Years passed. Time ticked away this summer and the Jane Austen retreat got closer, the impossible load of sewing I wanted to complete before the retreat was bearing down on me. I did what any good procrastinator does: I picked a completely unrelated project with no deadline and worked on that instead, and the Procrastination Dress came into being.

I want to share a new project with you – three years after getting the pattern, I finally made my first Hinterland Dress. I chose the sleeveless version.

This dress is a testament of my commitment to both procrastination and perfectionism.

The Quest Vest is my third attempt at the “perfect” quilted vest. You can see my Kochi/Luna quilted vest hack here, and my reversible FibreMood Irma here. I was also inspired by this quilted vest Hinterland Dress hack, for its closer fit and its pretty, neutral palette.

There’s nothing wrong with my other versions, but because of their length and oversized fit, they only work with certain outfits (pants). I frequently wear harem pants, dresses, and skirts. In those outfits, I want to feel like I’m wearing a blanket without LOOKING like I’m wearing a blanket. I took my favorite features of each inspiration vest and made the Holy Grail of quilted vests – a more fitted version with a higher collar and a wrap front with tie closure.

Last fall, I made a quilted vest by hacking the former Kochi jacket pattern, now called the Luna Jacket, from Papercut Patterns. I made enough alterations that the collar was the only thing that looked like the original. I still wear it often, but for some reason, when I saw Geri In Stitches Fibre Mood Irma, it occurred to me that maybe I hadn’t achieved the holy grail of quilted vests yet.