I can’t believe it is nearly the end of January. Mostly because that means the first piece of the Project SewMyStyle has to be finished.
I already wrote about the Project SewMyStye in my previous post. The goal is to create a wardrobe capsule and to sew twelve garments in twelve months, together.
The January pattern is the Toaster Sweater#2 from Sew House Seven
Is this a quick sew?
I have a lot of jersey/tricot in my stash but none of it was sturdy enough for this pattern so I went to buy appropriate fabric. At 6 p.m. I bought the fabric at Soie Unique and at 11 p.m. the sweater was finished—and I cooked a risotto in between. So yes, this is an incredibly quick sew.
Fabric
I went for a black double layered jersey with a lot of structure because I truly need some solids in my wardrobe. The fabric has a good stretch and is very easy to work with.
The Toaster Sweater#2 pattern
Based on my bust measures I cut out a straight XL but in hindsight, I should have taken the L because my measures were closer to that size and it turned out a little too big. I also added 5 cm to the length, not only because I am a #tallgirl but also because—although I like the cropped version a lot—I think for my figure a little bit of length is better.
The pattern is straight forward and beautiful in its simple lines. I really like the neckline with the included facing. It is also very helpful that the stretch direction is added on the pattern pieces.
The sewing process
The instructions in the booklet were very clear so I followed them step by step. A few days ago I read the sew along on the Sew House Seven website and remembered to mark the vent dots at the side seams and the neckline. This was very useful. I sewed the whole thing on my sewing machine, using a walking foot and the stretch stitch.
The only thing I had some problems with was putting in the sleeves. Although it was a flat insertion I really had to ease the sleeve caps and I hadn’t read this in any of the reviews. And here I think the pattern is too wide. Next time I will downsize the sleeve caps and the armscye.
With a little marking, the sewing of the side seams went very easy. I used my beloved fagot stitch to hem the seams.
Conclusion
I really like this sweater. The feel is very warm and cozy but the for the next one I probably go down one size. Also, I wouldn’t have sewed this sweater if not for Project SewMyStyle, so in that way, the year is off to a great start!
PS Most pictures were taken at the Museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar.
i thought the sleeve cap was too wide or large also. why has no one else mentioned that. i was thinking of cutting a medium sleeve for a large bodice, but not sure that would work. how did you cut down your sleeve cap?
Hi Teri
Thanks for reading. I did not use different sizes for the bodice and the sleeve cap. I put in the sleeves with a lot of ease. The fabric was loosely woven so I managed.
thanks so much for that feedback. after consultation i did a wide sleeve cap adjustment and took out @ 1/2″. I’m about ready to see it up, so i will work on my careful easement
side note: your social media is terrific, thanks for all the effort & joy that goes into that.