As I mentioned last week, this past weekend was the first one in about a month where I wasn’t working, and I totally planned to fill it with as much Fun Sewing as possible!
First up was a “statement sweatshirt” using some luscious galaxy print ponte leftover from my birthday dress. I love that dress, but I loved the fabric so much that I wanted to be able to wear it with jeans and in casual settings where that va-va-voom sheath dress couldn’t really go.
I don’t usually sew from Big Four patterns as they’re so freaking expensive here, but in order to get the cheapest price on the Kwik Sew leggings pattern for my Like the Wind workshop, I had to become a Sew Today member, which came with my choice of two free patterns. After a bit of a think, I selected McCalls 6992 and McCalls 7026, which I actually frankpatterned together here!
Seen here paired with my Donna Karan denim-look leggings
It’s usually my experience that Big Four patterns have way too much ease, and this was no different. My measurements put me squarely as a Size 16, but after a peek at the finished garment measurements printed on the pattern, I saw that a 14 would be plenty big enough, and that’s what I cut. Really, a 16 would’ve just drowned me.
I decided to use some black scuba from Tia Knight for the contrast raglan sleeves and neck band, and I bought enough to make a skirt from the same yardage, which you’ll see later this week!
I somehow managed to not get any back view photos – sorry about that! The back looks pretty identical to the front, however!
There are a bunch of fancy views in this pattern, but I went for the most basic version without the overlays, sleeve cuffs, or hem band. Instead, I decided to take the thumb-hole cuffs from McCalls 7026 and graft them onto this pattern. Because 7026 calls for stretchier knits than 6992, the size 14 cuff was actually a lot smaller than the end of the sleeve. Instead I went for the size 22 cuff, which matched up almost exactly with the Size 14 sleeve. If you do this, be sure to mark the centre of the end of your sleeve so you can align the thumb-hole cuff properly (so the thumbhole isn’t, say, where your pinky should be!). If my scuba was much stretchier, I’d have cut a smaller cuff and stretched it to fit the sleeve end as I sewed.
I think this hack was mostly successful, but next time I’d shift the hole further towards the end – it’s just slightly too short for my arms, and it feels like there’s too much fabric beyond the hem. Also, I should warn you that the thumb holes are finished entirely with handstitching. Ugh. I felt confident that I could devise a way to do this entirely by machine, but while my theory was sound, in reality it would’ve been equally fiddly to stitch on the machine (you’ve got tiny loops & close layers inside!). So fair enough on McCalls for doing it this way in the instructions.
Overall, I really like this sweatshirt. It was a quick and satisfying make, and I can tell already it’s going to get a lot of wear over the winter!