The ultimate winter warmer!

Is it a raglan sleeve sweater in dress form? YES!  Hooray to that.

For a Sydney winter, it’s the right kind of cosiness and I am never taking it off!

When Emily of In the Folds told me she has designed a sweater dress pattern for Peppermint Magazine I was on it.  I don’t need convincing to make a sweatshirt, especially when I know she has had her hand in designing it.  Are there pockets involved? Why, yes!

Image: Peppermint Magazine Sewing School

Have you ever seen the Peppermint Magazine Sewing School?  If not, you must check it out.  There are some beautiful patterns available and they are FREE!!

I have had a lovely navy blue sweatshirt fabric for a while (a charity store find, of course) and it was the perfect fabric for this pattern.  You can see a softer stretch is used above but I had a heavier version with more structure.  But I gave it a whirl all the same.

I had to do a little hack though, so I reverted to my final scraps of gold knit.  You may be familiar with my gold knit.  I made use of it once before on this sweater and as they say, ‘if it ain’t broke…’.  The gold is perfect with the navy blue and I had just enough for the shoulder hack.

It’s super easy to add this shoulder detail.  All you have to do is measure from the base of your neck to the tip of your shoulder.  For me it’s 12cm.  Fold the sleeve pattern piece in half and match the arm hole points, then draw a line at this centre point to 12cm. Now graduate a curve, making it as deep or shallow as you like. Add seam allowance to both of your new pattern pieces. As I am no pattern maker, this isn’t an exact science, but it worked for me!

un-ironed gold loveliness!

I was quite intrigued by the pockets.  I wasn’t convinced that pockets would sit well.  I have never sewn an inseam pocket in sweatshirt fabric before.  I thought they wouldn’t sit flat but they do!  It’s this little tip that makes them sit down.  The devil is in the detail as they say.

Image: In the Folds/Peppermint Magazine

I didn’t have quite enough fabric on one pocket so I had a do a little patch up job.  It’s well inside the pocket so not visible from the outside.

This pattern is incredibly easy.  Definitely a good place to start for those beginners who fancy their hand at stretch.  You can sew this on a standard machine. I didn’t though, I used the overlocker for my seams.

I made one final change, I decided against the hem band.  I think it was the right choice with this thicker fabric.  Instead, I just overlocked the hem and turned it up once.  I even used a standard needle and straight stitch (eek) on my sewing machine.  I know, I am such a rebel.  But it worked a treat.

So here it is in it’s full glory

A blurred portrait shot is so much more flattering when you are over 40 me thinks!!

Sometimes it’s nice to be able to smash out a dress in an hour or two.  This is my new winter wardrobe.  Lets see how many I can cobble together with my remaining scraps….