Tag: sweater

Split Hem Sheridan Sweater

2 Comments

Winter finally hit here in the midwest.  And by winter, I mean the below-freezing temps with wind that just bites at your face!  Since I walk my dog everyday, I’m out in this cold whether I like it or not.  In the mornings, I usually just throw on a sweatshirt over a few layers, but for 2022, I feel like I need “nicer” cozy clothes.  Don’t get me wrong, the dog walks will probably always include a sweatshirt, but I would stay in them all-day long and that’s the cycle I want to break.  It’s been two years of sweatsuits and I’m ready to get out!  So, with this sweater knit I bought last year and  my TNT, Sheridan Sweater, I’m working to get out of this rut.

I know I need more texture in my tops (not just the knit sweatshirt/jersey look) and sweaters would bring it in.  But since I don’t knit or crochet, I have to bring it in through other ways.  For sure, I have to do some thrifting, but I also had this incredible cable knit-look fabric in my stash. I bought this from Fabric.com  after seeing so many other makers use it and it certainly delivers.  The fabric is a really nice thick knit that isn’t too heavy but has the feel of a real sweater.  While the inside “stuffing” frayed a bit depending where you cut the fabric, I was able to use my regular sewing machine, serger, and even cover-stitch to make this top.

This is the fourth time I’ve made the Sheridan Sweater, a pattern by Hey June Handmade.  You can check out two I made on this post.  I’m a big fan of this pattern and really love the funnel neck view.  I’m always the “cold” one in the family and I like to have my neck covered, but I’m not a fan of turtlenecks.  My skin is pretty sensitive with fabric textures, so I always like some kind of loose covering like a cowl seen here in my Halifax Hoodie or this funnel neck.  Since I already have two Sheridans that are identical with the exception of color, I knew this one had to be different.  In addition to the fabric, I also hacked the pattern to make an uneven split hem, which is perfect for to half-tuck into my jeans.

These are all of the modifications on my size 10, view B Sheridan:

  • Increased the funnel neck by 1/2″
  • Omitted interfacing on the neck facing (fabric is thick enough)
  • Lengthened full front by 1″ and the back by 2 1/2″
  • Marked 3 1/2″ from the bottom front for the split hem
  • Used 3/8″ single fold with cover-stitching for hem
  • Made a 1/2″ narrow shoulder adjustment (typical for me with HJ patterns)
  • Narrowed out the sleeve 2″ on each side (4″ total) for a less formal balloon sleeve

I was “winging” the split hem (which I kinda regret now) and wished I added more length to the hem and especially at the side seams for the split.  While this isn’t the prettiest cover-stitching, you can’t really tell from the outside (thank goodness!) it worked out in the end.  I used some Mettler Seraflex to help tack down the hem right at the split (on the side seams) and after using my cover-stitch, realized I should’ve just used it on the hem this whole time — Lesson Learned! It’s a great thread that has stretch which you use with a straight stitch.  Since the hem is loose and not getting much strain, the Seraflex would’ve been a good alternative to cover-stitching.  I also used it in the cuffs (for less bulk than my serger) and also for tacking down the funnel neck to the facing.

Despite the small regret with the hem, I’m really pleased with this Sheridan Sweater.  It has the comfy-cozy, cable knit look I needed and it’s VERY warm too!  This was a great wardrobe addition  while I brace this bitter cold!  Do you like this knit-look without being a real sweater?  I think I may have to invest in some more of this fabric!

Happy Sewing,

Cristy

 

This post may contain affiliate links.  You can read my disclosures, here.

Add Puff Sleeve Drama with a Sheridan Sweater Hack

This post was originally published on the Hey June Handmade Blog in January, 2020.  Edits are in italics and additional pictures have been added (since I love this pattern SO much!)

When I first hacked this Sheridan Sweater for the Hey June Handmade Blog, I had no idea it was going to become one of my MOST worn tops. Prior to March, life was pretty normal while we were just starting to hear about the pandemic. My social world was still moving along and was able to wear my Sheridan to Lunar New Year celebrations (as planned!), Galentine’s Day fun with my girls, and was my go-to for a night out.  I knew even back then that I wanted another Sheridan.

After a #sewingfail with the wrong fabric (it was a red and cream colored stripe that clashed and looked HORRIBLE with my skin tone and hair highlights,) I was ready to make another.  This time I wasn’t going to mess around.  I knew I would ADORE my new Sheridan because I used…the same hack…and the same fabric as my OG…just a different color!

 

Back in early December, I knew I needed a new red top.  My one cardigan just wasn’t enough for all of the holiday school parties, concerts, church events and even family get-togethers.  I wore that one piece of red clothing OUT and knew I needed something else to add to my festive wardrobe.  But did I really need a new top???  Did I really want to make one??? Then the Sheridan Sweater was launched and my questions were answered.

All of my internal fighting against wanting “another” knit top disappeared.  After seeing the Sheridan launch, my mind switched and I bought the pattern right away.  Of course, I need  a new red top!  It WILL work through the holiday season, AND into the Lunar New Year AND be useful for Valentine’s Day school parties!  Why wouldn’t I need the Sheridan Sweater in my life?!?

Adrianna did a fantastic job designing the different views and I’m obsessed with the seamless funnel neck, which I haven’t seen in any other DIY pattern.  The Sheridan Sweater also has the big statement sleeves which is on still on trend and I knew both of these features would really stand out in red.  But since this was going to be my all-winter holiday top, I wanted to bring it up juuuuust an extra notch.

FABRIC

I found this beautiful textured waffle knit from Telio fabrics.  One of the reasons this sweater has been on constant wardrobe repeat is the fabric.  As a poly/spandex blend, the color saturation is on point.  After all of the washing and drying I’ve done, the color still looks as intense as day one.  I was concerned that the texture might be lost over time with dryer heat, but it’s all still there!

The Paola Pique Liverpool’s medium weight was a perfect complement to this pattern.  It has great body and really shows off the full sleeves.  The stretch and recovery is also very nice.  When I pull up on the sleeves and adjust the waistband, it  holds it’s size well and doesn’t stretch out over the course of the day.  This fabric comes in so many rich jewel tones that I had to have the Emerald.  The pictures come up more teal, but this color swings more to the green side in-person.

TUTORIAL

I figured if I was going red, I wanted to make the sleeves stand out even more. So….I hacked the sleeves to be more voluminous in the sleeve head for All. Of. The. Drama.  Below is my quick and definitely non-technical way to achieve that extra shoulder poof.

1. Take the sleeve pattern and make a copy.  (I traced the pattern onto some Swedish tracing paper I had on-hand.  I like using this since it’s more pliable than regular paper and can be pinned/sewn without being destroyed.)

2. Divide the sleeve into approximately 4 equal sections by width.  With the nice notch markings already drafted as part of the pattern, I used these as guide when splitting the sleeve.

3. Cut the pattern to separate these sections from the sleeve head all the way down to the cuff, but NOT cutting through.  All of the sections should be hinges and able to move.

4. To start, I added 1” in between each section.  I placed scrap paper underneath the pattern, and hinged each section out by 1” at the sleeve cap.  Then I taped the pattern onto the scrap.  Repeat 2 more times between the sections.  If you would like more volume, you can increase the hinge widths.

5. To get the extra volume at the top of the cap, I added 3/4” to the top and blended the line back to the notched parts of the cap, all while following its shaping.  Again, if you want a little more puff in the sleeve cap, feel free to add a little more to length to the top.

6. At the cuff line, true up the pattern so it is straight again.

At this point, I cut out the pattern and did make a muslin, but only had quilt cotton on hand.  It gave me an idea of the extra volume and shape added to the sleeve.  I did have to consider the extra weight and stretch with the knit fabric.  But it was still good enough for me and I went ahead to cut into the main fabric.

To insert the sleeve, I made gathers between the sleeve notches not exactly knowing how it would all look.  But I ended up marking 3” on either side of the shoulder seam and pushed all the gathers in between those markings.  I basted the sleeve into place and was very happy with the result!  With that, I finished sewing the sweater and have never been more pleased!

This hack turned out exactly like what I wanted and just love how “extra” the sleeves are.  The additional gathers and volume in the sleeve cap really balance out the overall ease in the sleeve and I love the extra long cuff to show it all off.  This top is pretty fancy and ready for every occasion now.  It’s still comfy in a stretch knit, but also so incredibly unique and special!

Project Summary

  • Pattern: Sheridan Sweater by Hey June Handmade; View: B; Size 10
  • Mods: Narrowed shoulders by 1/2″ each, increased the cropped length by 1″, used Puff shoulder hack above
  • Fabric: Telio Pique Liverpool Knit from Fabric.com in Hermes Red and Emerald

This hack can be used on just about any pattern with a set-in sleeve.  I may have to try it on a woven pattern this fall/winter.  Please let me know in the comments if you use this hack!  I would love to hear what you think!

 

Hugs and Stitches,

Cristy

 

This post may contain affiliate links.  You can read my full Disclosure here.

 

Moto Sweatshirt with Indiesew

2 Comments

What you might not know about me is that I’m an “Old Lady”…a very proud one, in fact.  As you can probably tell, it’s not by age or because I quilt (ha!), but because I love my husband AND his motorcycle.  I really enjoy riding with my guy and even though I haven’t gone very much after having kids, I still love that moto style.  So when I saw this collaboration between Indie Sew and Seamly for the Moto Sweatshirt, I knew I HAD to make this pattern!

The Moto Sweatshirt is such a great stylish and edgy jacket designed for knit fabrics.  After seeing Allie Olsen’s tester version, I knew I wanted the same double-knit from her shop.  There is so much more versatility with a double-faced fabric (you can use either side of the same fabric) and it is perfect for some color-blocking.  Since this is also a sweater knit, it makes the jacket SO comfy and warm for those cool summer rides.

It’s usually not a good idea to procrastinate with a project, but in my case, it turned out to be the best thing I did..er…didn’t do 🙂  I wasn’t aware there would be a sew-along of the Moto Sweatshirt when I picked this garment to make.  Needless to say, I was so pleased to see it announced and you know I read through every post before starting on my own project.

The first recommendation I took was to make a narrow shoulder adjustment.  I saw how the shoulder seams were low on many of the testers and other versions online.   I’m pretty narrow in the shoulders as a 5’3″ woman and knew this was for me.  However, the next time I make this sweatshirt, I would probably will take in another 1/4″ off the shoulders.  You can read about how to make the simple changes here.

If you have never used a double-faced sweater knit before, it’s thicker than most jersey knits.  That’s why I decided to use a quilt cotton for the pocket linings.  Not only does it provide a thinner fabric to sew through, the woven nature makes it MUCH more stable.  If you have not sewn a zipper welt pocket before, I would highly suggest using the quilt cotton to save the stress and potentially extra time with your seam ripper…

One of the biggest changes I made to the bodice patterns, although still very subtle, is the shoulder accent.  I blocked out each shoulder (front and back) with the dark navy side of the sweater knit.  This is a safety and design feature in many moto jackets in case you may fall off a bike.  I made my own pattern pieces by drawing the shoulder line, cutting out the pieces and then added the seam allowances back in.  I was pretty nervous doing this type of hack, but it worked…after many tests against the original pattern pieces. (It’s always good to check and to re-check!)

Since I made this sweatshirt for actual motorcycle riding, I wanted to make sure this was safe enough for the road.  The large folded collar is great for sun protection and for warmth, but I was afraid the zipper may have the potential to flip up depending on our speed and weather conditions.  That’s why I made sure to add in a cover for the zipper head.  When pulled all the way closed, the zipper’s pull is completely encased and isn’t dangling down.

With almost all sweatshirts I make now, I like to add in thumbholes.  They are so great if you are like me and always cold.  But from a functionality standpoint, these are also perfect features to help keep my sleeves down.  Sometimes the air flow can push things back and I certainly won’t let my husband go just to readjust sleeves!

And with that in mind, I made sure to narrow out the entire cuffs themselves.  Again, with air pushing against me as I ride, I wanted to make sure these were more snug on my wrists.  I took 1/2″ off both sides and angled in 1″ where the cuff folds for a cleaner look.

Overall, I’m very pleased with the sizing and fit (after adjustments) with this Moto Sweatshirt.  The instructions and graphics were pretty clear, but it’s always nice to have extra visuals.  The sew-along on the Indiesew Blog was very helpful with showing additional pictures of each step.  I’m very grateful it was available and it made this project go much faster than anticipated. Yay!!!

Project Summary:

  • Pattern:  Moto Sweatshirt – If you want to grab the pattern, click here.
  • Fabric:  Double-Faced Japanese Sweater Knit from Indiesew
  • Zippers:  Molded Plastic Jacket style from Wawak
  • Thread: Gutermann
  • Machines:  Juki MO-2000QVP Serger and Juki TL-2010Q

 

I hope you enjoyed this review and my hacks to the pattern.  Will you wear your Moto Sweatshirt while walking or while riding???

Happy Sewing, Friends!

Cristy

 

The Seamly Moto Sweatshirt pattern and Double-faced Sweater Knit were both discounted by Indiesew for this blog post.  But as always, the make is my conception and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sora Sweater :: Review

As a member of the Blank Slate Patterns Sewing Team, I get to see and test out patterns before you do.  (Yeah, it’s a pretty amazing gig…)  This last release with this Sora Sweater (aff link) certainly did not disappoint.  It’s a beautiful pullover and cardigan pattern for knits with a great relaxed and casual design available from XXS to 3X sizing.

For my first sew (and yes, there are other versions floating in my head,) I decided to make the pullover view with the shawl neck.  It took me a minute to wrap my head around the construction, but I made it through pretty well for my first run.  I like to live on the edge (ha!) and not muslin with companies I’ve sewn with before.  Luckily for all of you, Melly created a video to get you through this step and you can find it here.

The other great feature of this top is the side gusset.  I’ve never sewn one into a top before, but absolutely love it.  It adds fabulous shape around the hips without adding volume all-over the garment.  The front of the Sora still sits nice and straight.  You can find the tutorial in the same video above.

I used a lightweight  Eco-knit made from 50% recycled fiber and 50% organic cotton.  This dark peppered gray is a nice neutral and will go with so much in my wardrobe….especially my blue and black denim jeans!  This fabric was a great find from the Instagram of TrashN2Tees .  I don’t know if Jenelle will offer the buy again, but you should check out her website.  She is an inspiration for the upcycle and textile re-use world.

I opted for the long sleeves with my make, but you can make a short sleeve version for some layering or to just wear alone.  The sleeves are drafted to be a bit longer….which I really appreciate given the style of the Sora.  With comfy cozy types of tops, I tend to pull down the sleeves to warm up my hands a bit and are perfect for just that.  If you aren’t sure what you like, you can always sew them as the pattern says and take off an inch or two if they are too long before adding the cuff.

To add to the casual factor, I modeled my Sora after some menswear versions with the toggle.  I sewed in corded elastic which I looped so it could wrap over the toggle.  If you see other versions of the Sora pullover, you’ll notice that the shawl neck overlaps with the left side over the right.  But, I already sewed in the elastic and had to have the right side over the left as you see here.  So if you want to add an embellishment, remember my mistake and plan for the correct side!  TIP:  Use a small piece of fusible interfacing behind the toggle or button to keep the knit from pulling open.


The shirt-tail hem is folded up with a nice clean finish.  I serged the raw edge and then used my twin-needle with wooly (aka bulky or smooth) nylon in the bobbin.  You can see I have grey in my stash but was too lazy to wind another bobbin when I already had the cream color ready to go.  (Hey, you can’t stop me when I want to get a shirt finished!)  I love using wooly nylon in the bobbin of my domestic machine and also in the upper loopers of my serger for extra stretch and stress forgiveness.

You can find other versions of this pattern using #SoraSweater on social media and you can find it for purchase here (aff link.)

I hope you are enjoying my continual quest for a handmade wardrobe and this top definitely fits into the basics I need and will wear for years to come.

 

Happy Sewing!

Cristy

 

*This pattern was provided to me as part of the Blank Slate Patterns Sewing Team, but I was not asked to blog about it.  Any affiliate links are noted.  As always, all opinions and words are my own.