Some of your favourite Sew Over 50 casual jackets

The previous Sew Over 50 posts I’ve compiled for your favourite T-shirts and flat-fronted trousers have proven to be extremely popular reference sources for you so I thought it might be useful to add another pattern type to the series. 

This time I’ve chosen to focus on the short(ish) casual jacket, which I discovered has a wide variety of names depending on where you live (or which generation you are from) including jeans, utility, shaker or chore jacket. You know the sort, often workwear-inspired with plenty of pockets, it can be thrown on instead of a cardigan or a heavier coat, it might be a little more chic than a sweatshirt, or it might not. In fact it could be pretty smart depending on the fabric choice or maybe it’s super casual, definitely no longer than hip length though. So already lots of options but those were the basic criteria and then I threw it open to all of you for your own recommendations.

I started my research by going to the #So50Jackets hashtag. You can usually then select images by choosing between ‘top’ or ‘recent’ categories. Top will be the most popular images with loads of likes, probably as a result of the number of followers that an account has or it’s a really cool garment and the algorithm will skew its visibility. I tend to select recents because the images are exactly that, more recently sewn (or at least posted) which is helpful if you want some seasonally appropriate inspiration.

I soon discovered there are a few big hitter styles which are very popular with the sewing community just now so I’ll start with their details and then follow with all the other suggestions which came in from you via comments on my Sew Over 50 post in October. Whenever possible I’ve given the maximum size available, or bust/hip measurement which were correct at the time of publishing this post.

Here we go…

Closet Core Patterns-Sienna Maker jacket: 3 lengths with lots of variety and interesting details. Fits up to maximum bust 66.5″

I’ve recently finished a Sienna Maker jacket, I’ve sewn the short version, view C

Lori @girlsinthegarden.sews also made a short Sienna Maker in this lovely plum-coloured twill. She used bias binding throughout to finish the seams

Merchant and Mills-Ottoline: simple boxy shape with interesting seam lines and two-part sleeves. Fits up to 45” hip

@grannylindasewing made a dark red denim Ottoline

I made this Ottoline in 2020 as a trial run and it’s been in use ever since.

Friday Pattern Company-Ilford: a simple unisex shirt, or shacket, with lots of customising options and fits up to 62”-63” hips

Michelle @sew.sandbox has made herself a natural-coloured soft flannel Ilford shacket, This pattern has been a hit with the sewing community ever since it came out

Sew Over It-Sorrento: a quintessential jeans style jacket with lots of seams and a slightly fitted shape. This pattern is included in the eBook Summer Dreaming and will fit up to bust 57”

Jen @jenlegg_teescreatives is a serial jacket maker so take a look at her profile for some seriously joyful sewing inspiration!

Alina Sewing and Design Co-Hampton Jean Jacket: another traditional jeans jacket which looks stunning in denim but could be a great scraps buster because of the smaller pattern pieces. Maximum bust 44.5”

@sarahguthrie_stitches has made quite a number of jackets including this floral Hampton so I would definitely recommend a look at her profile

Simplicity Mimi G style #8845 a traditional jean jacket with size options for women/men/teens fitting up to 46-48” bust/chest

Anita @anitabydesign always looks fabulous and this white/red combination is no exception

Wardrobe By Me-Canvas: workwear inspired with a casual boxy fit, plenty of pockets! Fits bust 50” Hip 53”

Byrd @yogabyrdsews helped to test the pattern for the Canvas jacket before its release. You can hear Byrd and Molly chatting to Sew Over 50 guests on the #So50Live podcast too

Peppermint magazine issue 55-West End jacket a unisex over-sized shirt shape which fits up to 57”bust/chest

@soozcreates has sewn a scrap-busting flannel West End (and I’m definitely here for the red DMs!)

Seamwork magazine-Audrey and Rhett: Audrey is a traditional jean jacket with lots of seaming and pocket details, Rhett is a simplified version with a similar silhouette, both fit up bust 54” hip 58”

Cathy @ohsewcathy has made a Rhett jacket in sturdy denim

Ready to Sew-Julien Chore Jacket: a boxy fit fully-lined jacket, the sleeves have button cuffs. Fits up to UK22/US18

Lesley @mrsmcstitches made a cheerful red Julien jacket

Grainline Tamarack: a simple shape but extremely popular because of it’s quilting possibilities. Sizes up to UK 30 (US 26) up to hip 58” The Grainline Thayer would also fit the bill but with more pockets.

Muna and Broad-Cobden chore jacket: stylish jacket with multiple pockets and lots of topstitching detail. Fits up to bust 64” hip 71.5” 

The Sewing Revival-Mallard: a classic single-breasted silhouette which features a collar and outsized pockets with flaps. Fits bust up to 47”/hip 50”

Papercut-Stacker: a utility button-up in a cropped boxy fit, fits up to 46.5” bust 

Butterick #5616: another popular pattern but you’ll need to look beyond the awful sketches and photos on the packet, the line drawings will give you a far better idea of the possibilities. Fits up to UK 22(US18) no measurements given

Style Arc-Adelaide: simple silhouette with various pocket/cuff/options plus a full lining pattern too. Fits up to bust 58” hip 61”

Pauline Alice-Ninot and Ayora: Ninot is a boxy shape with a Peter Pan collar and welt pockets, fits up to bust 42.5” whilst the Ayora is a short reversible quilted jacket and fits up to bust 47”

Itch to Stitch-Causeway: a bomber jacket with elasticated hem and princess seams which can also be made fully reversible. Fits up to bust 49.5” depending on cup size

Aime Comme Marie-Moderne: a French brand, this is an adaptable loose shacket style which will fit up to bust 52/54” 

Sew Different-Swing jacket: this is a relaxed throw on jacket with no fastenings, there are large pockets incorporated into the front diagonal seams. The largest size will fit up to a 50” bust/52.5” hip

Helen’s Closet-Pona: another softly tailored jacket with no fastenings, it has wide lapels, patch pockets and roll-back cuffs. Fits up to bust 54”

Deer and Doe-Lupin: a short jacket with back yoke and waistband, welt pockets and a draped collar. Fits up to 45” bust 

Fabric-Store.Com-Paola: a free PDF pattern if you register, it’s workwear-inspired with a straight boxy shape, 4 pockets and flat fell seams. Sizes up to US 28/30 (no measurements given) 

Love Notions-Metra: another soft blazer shape with shawl or wide lapel options, princess seams with welt pockets. This pattern is intended for stable knits and will fit up to bust size 57.5”/ hips 59.5” 

Pattern Union-Felix: this is more of an edge-to-edge French style jacket than workwear, it can be made in 3 different lengths and will fit a maximum bust size of 54.5”

Tessuti-Ines shirt: this shirt pattern would translate well into a jacket simply by using a weightier fabric. Fits up to UK 22 

Tessuti-Lyon jacket: a semi-fitted ‘cardigan’ style which is ideally suited to boiled wool. Also fits up to UK 22

McCalls #7729 another traditional jeans jacket with lots of ideas for customisation, fits up to UK 22

Fibremood-Madou: an adaptable loose-fitting shirt/jacket pattern with a wide size range fitting up to 57.5” bust

Cashmerette-Auburn jacket: a classic short length single-breasted blazer specifically designed for the fuller figure. The Princess seams help to give an excellent fit for up to 62” bust

Patchwork and Poodles-Patchwork chore coat: this jacket is specifically designed to make using pre-quilted fabric and as such is a simple shape. It is relaxed fit rather than oversized. It can be made up to bust size 56-58”/hip 58-60”

So there you have more than twenty suggestions which came directly from the followers of @SewOver50, there are undoubtedly many other suitable patterns, in fact there were several that were suggested which I could not trace so I assume they are now out of print or discontinued. I’ve given you descriptions and links for every pattern rather than loads of individual images so click on the links to see what each one looks like. Don’t forget to check if there’s a hashtag for the pattern too, if so there will be plenty of inspiration to be had from that. 

If you sew any of the patterns here make sure to include the #So50Jackets hashtag as well as #SewOver50 (@SewOver50 in Stories) A lot of the companies mentioned here will acknowledge our existence but several resolutely do not (presumably run by immortals?) I found it interesting that so many of your suggestions are now from Indie pattern companies and not the Big Four as some might expect. Times change rapidly and we are moving with them, I think it’s proof that whilst we may be a little older we are still happy to keep up with trends in fashion whilst doing it very much our way. SewOver50 will continue to push for greater recognition of older sewers and makers at any opportunity because we know we all have something positive to offer the home sewing community as a whole.

Until next time, happy sewing

Sue

Your Sew Over 50 go-to tee-shirt patterns

We asked you another question on @SewOver50 in October-which were your favourite go-to, never-fail, T-N-T T-shirt (tee shirt?) patterns and naturally you came up with a veeeeerrrry long list. I’ve trawled through them all and simply listed them here with a link (if I found one) for each so you can check them out for yourselves. As blogs go, it’s a bit of a dull one but you might it useful and maybe find your next new favourite pattern amongst these. Needless to say there are probably another one or two hundred more patterns which you think ought to be on this list!

I’m not recommending or endorsing any of these patterns personally, they have all been suggested by you, the enthusiastic followers.

Melissa Breton Tee-Thrifty Stitcher -relaxed drop-shoulder tee with 3/4 sleeves and a bateau neckline

Plantain-Deer & Doe–free pattern (if you sign up on the website) loose-fitting tee with a low scooped neckline and 3 sleeve options.

#1366 Cynthia Rowley Simplicity-loose fitting top

Mandy Boat Tee-Tessuti–free pattern boat neck drop-shoulder Tee with 3/4 sleeves

Ola-Tessuti-tunic top

#3338 Kwik Sew-I can’t find this one, possibly discontinued?

Astoria-Seamwork-cropped length, fitted long-sleeve top

Classic Tee-Love Notions -close-fitting tee with 3 neck options and 3 sleeve lengths

Laundry Day tee-Love Notions-fitted tee with 3 necklines and 5 sleeves options

Basic Instinct shirt-Secondo Piano-classic simple tee

Freya Agnes Coco-TATB-Tilly has a range of jersey tops and dresses with a variety of necklines and sleeve options.

Moneta-Colette patterns-Moneta is a dress pattern in stretch fabric with a fitted bodice and a couple of sleeve options.

#2805-Jalie Patterns-t-shirt with 4 sleeve and 4 neckline options. It has a huge range of sizes

Statement Tee-Ottobre magazine 2017/2 various options so check the website

Wardrobe Builder Tee-Wardrobe by Me (not many instructions apparently) close fitting tee with 3 body lengths, 5 necklines and 6 sleeve-lengths!

Uvita-Itch to Stitch-dropped shoulder bateau-neck tee with 2 sleeve lengths

Pamela’s Perfect Tee-Pamela’s patterns-longer length fitted tee with several neckline and sleeve options

Green Tee-Greenstyle Creations-longer length fitted tee with scoop or V neck and lots of sizes

Lark-Grainline-a popular pattern with 4 neckline options and 4 sleeve lengths.

Stellan Tee-French Navy Now–free pattern a boxy tee, not sure how many sizes.

The Astair tee-another boxy tee also from French Navy Now with sleeve variations and a patch pocket.

Renfrew-Sewaholic another classic tee with several sleeve lengths and various necklines

Kirsten Kimono Tee-Maria Denmark-close-fitting cap-sleeved tee

Carine Tee-Elbe Textiles–free pattern cropped tee

Lane Raglan-Hey June-scooped neck raglan tee and sweatshirt pattern

Jade-Made by Rae-scooped neck tee in a wide size range

Concord-Cashmerette-lots of options in curvier sizes

Molly Top-SOI City break eBook classic drop shoulder tee

Eva-Pattern Union-a simple close-fitting tee with long or short sleeves.

Geneva Tee-Named raglan tee with long sleeves

Ruska-Named-Breaking the Pattern-tee shirt/dress with various options

Ultimate T-shirt-Threadcount free gift pattern from a back issue of Love Sewing magazine

Panama-Alina Design-tee shirt with dress-length options

starting top left @debs_sewing_room @sarahguthrie_stitches @loves_knitting @heathersewist
left @spoolriversewing main centre @sewcialstudio right @sewingalacarte
left @sewcialstudio right @mrs_moog
bottom left @damselfly.ca @_mysewingdiary @rocketcitysewing and @seams_sew

Update January 2022

This has probably been the single most popular post on the blog since I first published it over two years ago so I thought it could do with an update because new patterns will have been released, or missed off last time, and many have become very popular in that time. As before, these were all suggested by you dear reader so, in no particular order, they are as follows…

Rae top by Tessuti patterns, a pretty gathered neckline and several sleeve options

Iris by Forget-me-Not patterns a simple shape but with an interesting pleated short sleeve

Peak Tee by Wendy Ward in her book Beginners Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics

Somerset top by Maven patterns (I’ve used this one myself a number of times including for this hack) bateau neckline with several sleeve options including to a bishop sleeve with deep cuff

Frankie from Tilly and the Buttons in her book Stretch, a simple raglan sleeve

Rio ringer from True Bias (this also has a children’s size range too)

Gable top by Jennifer Lauren Handmade, 50s-inspired slash neckline

Basic block Tee by Fehrtrade in her book Sew Your Own Activewear

Fog Tee is from The Fabric Store

Tabitha from Tilly and the Buttons in the book Make It Simple (I used the lengthened version for this Minerva make)

Nora is a loose-fit T-shirt by TATB (they are good at basics!) there is now a cardi version available too

Needless to say this is still in no way an exhaustive list but they have all been used, and recommended, by you. There are some freebies which might be worth a try, as well as pricier options.

Until next time,

Happy sewing

Sue

Indie patterns vs ‘the Big 4’-discuss

Well, I seem to have set the cat amongst the pigeons a little with my previous post reviewing Vogue 9251. In it I mentioned how I chose this particular pattern over a Sew Over It one. I didn’t say anything detrimental about their Eve dress, I simply chose the Vogue one.

When I posted on Instagram about the new blog I simply commented, “don’t dismiss ‘big 4’ patterns because Vogue have some fantastic designs which fit well and are often fashion-forward”. What I didn’t expect was the number and variety of responses which that provoked. I’d like to try and explore a little more some of those comments here.

When I first learned to dress-make at secondary school the only patterns generally available to me were the big brands, Butterick, Vogue, Simplicity etc. Burda were there too but they were much more challenging because very often you had to trace them off (I’ve never been a tracer, always a cutter-outer) and remember to add your seam allowances. They were frequently more fashion-forward but I think because they are a German brand their styles were ‘a bit weird’ and it wasn’t often to my taste at the time. Their printed patterns now include seam allowance but the magazine still has large sheets which you trace and add the SA to. The designs have improved somewhat too. Vogue patterns were always very much the ‘Rolls Royce’ of the pattern brands and it was always a big deal for me to spend so much money on one (even now I try to buy them when they are on a half price offer) They were often where innovative designs first appeared and then an adapted version would appear later on in Butterick or Simplicity instead. Now a Vogue pattern almost seems cheap compared to indies!

Another source of patterns were free ones provided by post by women’s magazines and newspapers, you’d save up printed vouchers which you posted off and they would then post the pattern back to you. A slow process but actually it didn’t matter much because we weren’t all about instant gratification back then, we were happy to wait because we were getting something for nothing! Some of these patterns were OK, some not so much.

I found this one in my collection, it doesn’t have a date on it but it’s probably from about 1983-4

In the early 80’s Prima magazine started giving free patterns included with the magazine. They were the template type we still get today which came on two-sided sheets that you had to trace off and, as a result, they were quite simple designs but they were popular. I was attempting my own pattern cutting by this time before I went to college so these patterns were a springboard to getting me started.

Then dressmaking seemed to fall out of favour and the curriculum all seemed to change at school. There were always a few of us who kept it up, it was how I earned a modest living while my children were small but it became harder and harder to buy nice fabrics at reasonable prices, or haberdashery, and nobody seemed to think it was a worthwhile pastime.

Then, in 2013, the Great British Sewing Bee happened and everything changed. There was always the core of us that had carried on sewing but now a new group were being introduced to it as a hobby and as a means to make the sorts of clothes they wanted to wear. The big pattern companies were still there but for the women who hadn’t been taught dressmaking they were a bit daunting and also a little dull. [I know there are men who sew but, let’s face it, they are the tiny minority] The packaging looked a bit dated and the layout of the instruction sheets inside hasn’t changed in decades. This isn’t a bad thing for those of us who know what we’re doing but to the unfamiliar they can be very confusing and a bit scary. They generally always assume a good level of sewing knowledge before you start so beyond telling you the order of making they don’t always tell you the exact technique or method. The pattern books don’t help themselves because they can look uninspiring with strange fabric choices and not many up-to-date or trend-led styles, or by making it difficult to spot them amongst the dull ones!

I’m not aware there was any such thing as an ‘independent pattern maker’ before about 5 years ago, and if there was then they were well below the radar, but people like Tilly Walnes, who appeared on the first GBSB series and is Tilly & the Buttons, and Lisa Comfort of Sew Over It both started developing their own patterns and began marketing them. Tilly created wearable, simple modern shapes which were beautifully presented and the instructions came in the form of photographs rather than with illustrations. Sew Over It’s aesthetic is vintage-inspired with tea dresses and floaty skirts being more prevalent. Lisa seems to have diversified into a whole lifestyle-thing which I’m quite glad I’m no longer a young mum trying to emulate.

Fast-forward to today and we have masses of new ‘indie’ patterns flooding the market all the time. It seems that everyone who fancies themselves as a designer can have a go at it and create new patterns and clearly some will be considerably better than others. Initially I didn’t go down the indie route because they were usually in the region of £12-£15 or more for a printed pattern, and besides I have a monstrous collection of paper patterns which I’ve acquired over about 40 years! I wasn’t attracted to the new patterns because they were either too simplistic and I could make my own quite frankly, or they were vintage-style which I’m not that into.

I’ve noticed too since making a few indie brand patterns that with some of them if you don’t fit into a certain age or body type then you never get a ‘like’ or a mention if you tag the company in your IG feed. Frankly, if I, my makes and my photos don’t suit your design ideal or aesthetic then I won’t be bothering to tag in future, you need the customers more than they need you and no one likes to feel ignored.

So, where does that leave us today?

The big companies have carried on very largely unchanged for decades and you can usually be sure of a well-drafted product with good instructions (although if you are able to follow them is sometimes an entirely separate issue) The fit of some of these styles isn’t always so good but there’s always going to be some variation according to the style and I’m not saying they are always wrong or right. Let’s face it, we’re dealing with the human body here with all it’s quirks and variations as well as personal taste and style.

I wonder if the fact that, almost without exception, indie pattern styles have names rather than numbers which instantly makes them more memorable? Also, having now succumbed and bought a number of indie patterns I see there’s a wide variety in the form they take and their packaging is definitely part of the appeal. They come in nice packages and they might feature lovely sketches on the cover or fashion shoot-style photos, many come printed on heavy, quality paper and others are on ‘greaseproof’ type paper or even brown wrapping paper, each is trying be unique in what is becoming a crowded market. If you can get yourself in with The Fold Line and an attractive young blogger who will sing your praises then so much the better, guaranteed advertising.

I think that the single biggest difference that the indies have is the availability of downloadable PDFs. We’ve arrived at that very modern phenomenon ‘instant gratification’. You can purchase, download, print, cut, stick, cut out and sew all in one evening if that is what works for you. The PDF is generally a little cheaper [there are free ones too] so you can buy direct from a pattern maker who may live on the other side of the planet if you want to. It’s possible to get them printed at the local print shop too, or by online printers but I’m wondering if that doesn’t defeat the object of not buying a printed version if there is one in the first place? Indies often have a wealth of online tutorials and support which was never possible before. That said, never dismiss a good old text book-the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (first published in 1978 I think) is an absolute goldmine of information.

In the 4 years or so that I’ve been part of the ‘online’ sewing community I’ve noticed a trend amongst some dressmakers who only appear to use indie patterns and to sing their praises. Is this an inverted form of snobbery? I don’t know but that’s just fine if they are the styles you want make, of course it is, we’re a free country, but a lot of the new styles from some brands are starting to look incredibly ’samey’ and are bringing nothing new to the design table. If you want truly original new styles it seems to me that the Europeans are doing it better, such as Named, Deer and Doe or The Assembly Line.

Some indie patterns are so overly simplistic in the designs they offer that I do wonder why dressmakers are shelling out so much cash for the pattern when they don’t have to. Do they genuinely not realise that there are other, cheaper alternatives?

Don’t get me wrong, there are brands which produce well-drafted, original designs with clear instructions and the designer has worked very hard to put out an excellent quality product but none of the printed versions of these patterns are terribly cheap, many are £20 a pop now (and I’m not saying they shouldn’t be because of course there is a lot of time and effort involved) but, as I return to my original point, don’t dismiss the big companies out of hand because they do still have something to offer, relative cheapness for basics being one of them.

I was particularly saddened, and annoyed, to hear Heather-Lou of Closet Case Patterns say on the Stitchers Brew podcast recently that she thought “you don’t need to take a pattern cutting class” because there are “very few things in life you need to go to school for”. Well thanks a bunch!! I’m so glad that myself and thousands like me took the time to go college to follow our dream and learn how to be pattern cutters because it was obviously a big old waste of time as anyone can do it! In the next breath she says that she now has a professional do her pattern drafting because “she (the pattern cutter) went to school and trained to do it” WTF! I’d enjoyed listening to what she had to say up until that point but that’s plain insensitive and insulting. I know there are some brands, like Maven patterns and The Maker’s Atelier, which have been created by women with years of experience and expertise in the fashion industry but there are other’s who don’t have that.

I could wang on for ages about the benefits and downsides of both types of pattern and in all honesty they will coexist side by side from now on. The big companies have certainly got to stay on their toes and possibly find new and engaging ways to present themselves to be appealing to the burgeoning younger market, but I hate to see newer dressmakers parting with lots of cash for some patterns which are really just a new version of the wheel, the spokes or the tyre may be different but it’s still a wheel none the less.

Part of what we all love about dressmaking is making original, creative clothes that fit and supporting one another in our endeavours, long may that continue. It’s just that we are the customer and always have a choice where we spend our hard-earned money.

All views expressed are my own of course and I dare say many of you won’t agree with me but I know from comments on my IG post that I’m echoing thoughts of others too. I’m not sponsored by any of the brands I’ve mentioned either! I’d be really interested to know what you think about the whole subject too so do please leave a comment.

Happy Sewing

Sue

 

 

 

 

Heather dress from Sew Over It

When you dabble in social media where sewing and dressmaking is concerned, specifically Instagram in my case, you quickly notice which patterns are new and having a ‘moment’. Currently, for example, the Cleo dungaree pinafore by Tilly and the Buttons, the Linden sweatshirt from Grainline, or the Toaster top from Sewhouse 7 are really booming, they’re everywhere. Along with these is a new PDF from Sew Over It  a jersey dress called Heather. 

I liked the way the pockets were part of the style lines on the front and when I saw it was reduced to buy in their January sale I decide to snap one up.

I haven’t made a lot of PDFs but I’m slowly building up my collection, this one runs to 36 pages which seems about average. After my last experience where I had a PDF printed at the copy shop and it cost me a FORTUNE I went back to printing it myself and doing the sticking! I think this was probably me misunderstanding the price structure, perhaps someone can tell me if that’s the case?

I must say that the Heather was super-simple to piece together and very quick to stick together-I used a glue-stick this time instead of sticky tape which seems to work well (will I discover it’s all fallen to bits in 6 months time?)

I checked my measurements against the chart and decided to go with a 14, although I wasn’t sure at this stage if the hips would be too big. One thing I didn’t do this time was print off all the instructions, I left them on the laptop and referred to them as I went along (saving the planet one page at a time!)

I found a length of jersey in my beautifully curated collection (yeah right!) which hadn’t really lent itself to a project before because I thought it looked a little old-fashioned but with the right pattern could look more up-to-date. I decide the Heather dress was that project-I hope I’m right. Anyway the fabric had been given to me so it wasn’t an expensive mistake if it didn’t work very well, more of a wearable toile. 

On to the sewing-I was really impressed with how well the pieces went together (as you’ll know if you’ve read some of my earlier blogs I’m a stickler for accurate cutting out because  that way I know, if something doesn’t go together properly or markings don’t match, it’s more likely to be the pattern than my cutting out and I can make adjustments and a note for next time. It’s another reason I always prefer scissors because with a decent pair and practice they are so accurate)

The main feature of the dress is the in-seam pockets and the instructions for these are very clear and they sew together beautifully, I think a comparative novice could easily manage them without too much difficulty and they are very satisfying when you’ve done them. The only thing I added which isn’t in the instructions was some understitching to help the top edge roll over effectively.

Close up of the pocket in the seam.

The rest of the dress went together very quickly-there are no fastenings like zips or buttons to worry about or take time fiddling with. I’d chosen the long-sleeved version and these went in well. The only area I had any difficulty with (and this is a recurring theme for me) is the neckband. I can never get them to be flat enough. I mean it isn’t terrible but I think the band was a little too long in this particular fabric so it sticks up very slightly. If it had been worse than it is I would have unpicked but as this is more of a wearable toile I decided it was liveable and left it alone. I’m happy with the length too so I didn’t alter that, I must admit when I saw Lisa in the plain pink version I expected it to be too short so either she’s shortened that one or (quite likely) she has longer legs than me! I’m 5’5″ so totally average…

Posing it up in what’s become known as ‘the photo corner’ in the room where I teach my lessons on Thursdays (love that contrasting non-slip safety grip step edging!!)

So that’s Heather. Overall the fit is, as I suspected it might be, a little big for me over the hips so I ought to take a bit out of the side seams (I haven’t yet because I wanted to wear it) and when I make another I’ll make that adjustment in the cutting out. I’m not sure there’s quite enough room over the bust either, it’s a bit ‘flattening’ and I’m certainly not anyone’s idea of full-busted. It is very comfortable however, the day I wore it was freezing so I popped an RTW turtle neck underneath. I like the idea of contrast panels for the sides and sleeves so I think I’ll try that next although I’m trying to use fabric I already have for a while and I’m not sure I have anything else suitable so it might have to wait! I might try adding a collar that rolls over too. Lots of possibilities…

Overall I’m very pleased with the quality of this Sew Over It pattern, and it’s instructions, and I’d be happy to try another based on this one, maybe the Anderson blouse which looks elegant. The sticking together was pretty straightforward, the fit came up close to the finished measurements chart ( I’ll just need to act on them next time) and it has a number of variations. It would suit a confident novice who’s keen to try stable knits and some interesting style details, and pattern-sticking aside it’s pretty quick to make up.

Happy Sewing

Sue