Here is a short, photo dense tutorial of a reversible wet felted vest. Basic felting knowledge is assumed, and this is mostly a guide for those who have attended my vest workshop and would love a visual reminder of the stages of vest-making.
You start with a resist, approximately 1.3 times the size you need to fit perfectly...
To make it reversible, add some sheer silk fabric and maybe some silk fibre, and yarn, and other details... Think of the pattern as face down against the resist... Lay your merino batt on top of this.
Then, on top of the batt, you should add sheer silk fabric (here are two different sari silks, one in black with beading), also added are circles of merino top and wool and silk fibres centers.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeukHf3gcipG0w1sVKBDl6CLED-w9El6Ij60DGSg5moSDS-St_nhG3BlOTDvhOC9UBxSSskWEAuyi-U5hecImkLfcEsXa1qGBx3W_kWCAx7KR5gUa0HcBHcYw3lbgDs8EIZMkH7rhyZogY/s320/6D94CBE8-B862-4FB4-B92E-381C9F17BA55.jpeg)
Wet the back with cool soapy water, and rub completely down. Cover with plastic and turn over carefully to expose the other side of the resist. Create your front right side with an outline of merino top. Decorate the under side with silk as on the back (no photo of that step) and cover with batt.
Fold the hang over sides and shoulders over the new front batt, and trim the excess at the armholes.
Go ahead and decorate this side with silk sari fabric and more merino top and silk as on the back.
Wet down the right side with soapy water and cover with a smaller piece of plastic, just enough to cover just the right side. Rub down well. Then, over top of the new plastic, outline the left side and decorate the underside of the left front. Cover with batt, and sari silk. Don't forget to wrap the sides and the shoulders to the front side.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIoJJjx8evO13ICCft9rB6L5P2vprHPZif3guQbP_Ebsy2TXI7f5hqiAMB5jjWIZWBn8UeWAjIhoTRGHo4ID5a1piwdQRJbisIaSDAJWypO1rxHsAFGrcX19mvEECqyTvtL-LBm2YaQzb/s320/F1601FE4-C50A-416D-9FCC-1F67433C7345.jpeg)
Wet with soapy water and cover the whole thing in more plastic... Rub flat to remove air and to start the felting process.
And here are the finished photos of the vest... The "underside" as it was laid out against the resist...
and the back...
Then the reverse side front....
and the back...