Gonna keep this one short and sweet today!
Also, in case you were wondering – yes, I took these immediately after the photos from my last post. Just pulled the sweatshirt on over what I was already wearing! Haha!
This is the Fraser Sweatshirt from Sewaholic Patterns. I have actually made this top before – I used a beautiful marled French Terry from Metro Textiles and it’s soooo soft and cozy – but this is my first post about it. I don’t normally dedicate a post strictly to something as plain at a knit top, as I personally find it a little boring – but I do think this one deserves its own very short post. So there you go. I finished this way back in August and have worn it loads since.
Anyway, Fraser! I think this pattern got a bit overlooked – I certainly overlooked it at first. It’s pretty similar to the Renfrew Top – albeit with a higher neckline, a little more ease (to allow for sewing out of a bulkier fabric) and some style variations. I didn’t care much for the style variations, personally – not a fan of that western contrast yoke, and really falling out of love with twee collars on everything. I liked the plain version, and like I said – I made it up and really enjoy wearing it – but I don’t know if the plain version alone really justifies buying the pattern if you already have the Renfrew (FWIW, Tasia gifted me these patterns, although she did made it very clear she was not expecting a review post in exchange). With that being said, I loved Amanda’s collared version the second I saw it, and filed it away for future consideration.
For fabric, I used a grey sweatshirt knit that has been in my stash for a few years. I’m not 100% on where it’s from, but my best guess is that I bought it at Paron’s in NYC. It’s a little lighter and stretchier than a true sweatshirt fleece – it almost feels like scuba with fleece on one side.
I wanted my collar to be more subtle than straight-up color-blocking, so I simply used the wrong side of my main fabric. In theory, it seemed like a really cool idea – the wrong side is fuzzy, so there’d be some unexpected texture there. In practice, it looks very much the same as the right side, unless you’re actually touching it. So my inset collar is even less of a contrast than I was anticipating, although I don’t think this is a bad thing. I actually do like the way it turned out!
Anyway, I topstitched around the collar with a straight stitch to really bring out the seam lines and help everything lay flat. I love the effect, especially how it looks with another collared shirt peeking out from underneath, inception-style 😛
Pattern-wise, not much to report. I made a size 0, which is my usual Sewaholic size. I assembled the shirt with a serger, although I used my sewing machine to sew the collar in first so I could easily unpick if I messed something up (I just went over the seams again with my serger once I knew everything was good). Actually, the serged seams on the collar look REALLY cool and I almost let that be the right side… maybe for the next top. Who knows!
I did have to do a little tracing to get those long sleeves. The pattern comes with 3 sleeve options, but the long sleeves have that yoke on top of them. The yoke-less sleeves are 3/4 and short, both of which I feel are useless for a sweatshirt. I simply combined the top of the 3/4 sleeve with the bottom of the yoked sleeve, to make a plain long sleeve. Not difficult to do at all.
Interestingly, I found the hips to be too wide in the first version I made of this pattern – there were super A-line on me (not surprising, considering I’m not a pear shape and this pattern is drafted for someone who is) and I had to take in the sides quite a bit to make them more straight – but on this current version, they are fine. I am guessing my fabric choice had something to do with this, because I didn’t alter the actual pattern pieces. This knit is way softer and stretchier than the French terry I used for my first version, which makes the sides hang better.
Anyway, I don’t have anything else to say about this top sooooo I guess that’s it!
LLADYBIRD 
I really like this one, Lauren, and I love what you did with the neckline/collar/whatever. Would this work in a somewhat heavier, fleecier fabric, do you think? i’m looking for something to cocoon in with leggings since it’s beginning to look like a much colder winter than last year!
The pattern is intended for heavier sweatshirt knits, so it should work as long as your fabric has the correct amount of stretch 🙂
good to know, thanks! hope you’re enjoying a Merry Christmas with family and friends! ❤
Ooooh, I really dig the collar on this. And the colour. I say as I’m sat here in all grey. I guess it’s a favourite for a reason!
Haha I hear ya, I’m team grey and black during the winter 😛
I always like Sewaholic patterns, even if I’m not pear-shaped. Too bad she quit designing. 😦
I know!!! I’m selfishly really bummed because I loved the stuff Tasia put out, but I’m hoping that her retirement from the business was for super rad reasons.
(((For what it’s worth this was not boring)))
♥
I have followed, and read every post of yours for quite some time. I’m having a hard time enjoying your pictures in front of that painting, though. It’s too busy, and it distracts from the garment. There’s a reason why no other fashion or sewing blogger poses in front of lifesize paintings of people.**wink** The pics on your dress form are much nicer. They are clearer, less distracting and better lit.
Well, to be fair, i think most other fashion and sewing bloggers have someone else take their photos, or at least more space in which to set up a tripod 😉 Unfortunately, my apartment is quite small – either the walls have stuff on them, or the light is really bad and blown out, or there just isn’t enough room for the tripod to go far enough back to get my entire body in the picture. And I am totally not brave enough to go outside and pose with a tripod in front of my neighbors! That wall was the best option I could find, and while I like the colors and background, I can see why it would be distracting. Taking the painting down is not an option either, it’s drilled into the wall haha. I just realized I do have one other wall I haven’t tried, so I’ll see what the lighting is like on that one, although I make no promises. Thank you for your input! ♥
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
I LIKE IT!
Thank you!
The top stitching around the collar is really perfect. And, it’s not boring AT ALL.
Thank you! I can”t take credit for the topstitching, it’s all thanks to that edgestitching foot haha! ♥
I love Sewaholic patterns and have met Tasia (she visited us at our Gala fabrics monthly meet-up here in Victoria BC) and thoroughly enjoyed her presentation and talk about what it was like to start a small pattern making business here in BC BUT I understand they are specifically designed for the fuller hipped woman and this is not an exaggeration at all. I am not pear shaped (in fact quite the opposite) and the fit was just impossible without chopping, measuring and pasting umpteen pieces. So I gave up. When I read how you found the hips to be too big I wasn’t surprised. Not a big surprise that I just love your sweatshirt but alas I won’t be ordering one 🙂 I love the idea though of that subtle collar and the way you’ve done it is especially intriguing…might be able to employ that idea in another sweatshirt pattern 🙂
Oh, I’m jealous! I’d love to meet Tasia, she seems like such an awesome person. She did introduce me to one of the women who was in her knitting group in BC, when she moved to Nashville for a few years, she joined my knitting group! 🙂
And yes, I hear you on not being the figure for a Sewholic pattern! I just *barely* can make the patterns work on me – I have a good waist to hip ratio, but it’s not quite that exaggerated. I have better luck with the tops, because those don’t involve the hips (and it’s easy to straighten the side seams). My beloved Thurlows finally had to go into retirement, though, as the proportions just did not work with my body.
Anyway, yes, you should try the collar on another pattern! It is a fun little addition to something otherwise super super simple and plain 🙂