You will need:

• Red felt or any material you wish (material size is 34? x 24?) I used cotton
• Red thread
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Large sheet of newspaper
• Template (found at this website)

1.  Download the template: BragVest1. It is for a size large, which will be big at first, but they will grow into it. Exact dimensions of the vest are 21? tall and 16.5? wide. The pattern is measuring half of the vest since the material is folded. The fold will be on the back part of the vest.

2. Since your pattern is printed on a 8.5? x 11? sheet of paper, your next step will be to enlarge the pattern onto a sheet of newspaper. This can be a little tricky and may require a few attempts to get it exactly right. The main thing is to get the front and back shoulder seams the same width. When finished, pin it to your fabric with the fold on the right side.

3. Cut out your fabric.

4. Remove the newspaper pattern from your fabric. This is what your vest will look like before sewing.

5. Next, line up the shoulder seams.

6. Pin the seams.

7. Sew a straight line along both shoulder seams.

8. Turn the vest right-side out and voila – you have a scout vest!

When I add new patches, I sew them on instead of using the iron-on method. I have never had much luck with iron-ons, and I read that the patches don’t stick well to felt. The scout store also sells Badge Magic where you can apply it like a sticker.

Have fun with it!