New Upsycle-- A safety riding vest

I have a motorcyle (HD V-Rod) and often ride with my husband on the military safety rides.  This precipitates the need for a reflective safety vest.  Until now, I've been using my husband's PT cheap reflective vests.  Not only are they ugly, but they fly all around while careening down the highway at 65mph.  So I decided to create one myself that will satisfy the requirement and be more "sexy".  This will also be stored in my motorcycle saddle bag for use at night when we are caught out on a ride at night.

 

Reflective tapes and piping, white nylon, & blck leather jacket

Here is the leather jacket I purchased from a second hand store.  I bought the nylon, reflective tapes and piping from a fabric store.  Not pictured are the grommets (silver) that I will use to make the sides adjustable.  I want the vest adjustable so that I can use it over my other riding jackets or by itself (or if I lose weight, which is a goal).

• The first step will be to remove the zipper, sleeves and collar.  I will salvage the lining too, to be used in lining the vest.
• I will create a "cyncher" to attach to the leather bustier portion from the nylon.  I will also need to create an inner lining from something durable, ie duck/drill, leather, etc.  (I haven't decided how I will do that yet).
• Next I will cut bottom portion of the leather jacket, saving it create a leather pouch.  I may have to create a couple of darts under the breasts.
• I will baste the inner lining to the nylon.
• Next, I will layout and sew on the reflective tape.  Then I will line the top portion of the cyncher with the piping.  
• Now to attach the cyncher to the bustier.
• Then, I will line the whole thing with the piping (center front, side-over-the-shoulder, and bottom).
• I will then attach the zipper (salvaged from the front of the jacket and cut shorter).
• Then for the lining attachment.
• Finally to set the grommets on the sides, under the arms.  I will set them in a spiral lacing fashion, like I do with the Elizabethan wardrobes.

As a side note, I will also reuse the sleeves to create removable sleeves for the vest later on.