Pattern: Toaster Sweater #2 by Sew House Seven
Fabric: french terry knit from Indiesew (sorry, sold out)
So yeah…this whole “slow sewing” movement is my jam because that’s all I seem to do these days when it comes to sewing. Sewing time is now few and far between – I started grad school this fall and work kicked into high gear two months ago. I thought after the wedding I’d have the time to get back into the swing of things with sewing, but I guess not!
(Oh, and I got a hair cut and chopped off 6″ since my last post – I swear my hair is not that poofy IRL)
Since my time is so limited now, I need to really focus on garments that I will absolutely enjoy making (and wearing) or will challenge my sewing skills – no more time to waste on garments that I don’t have 100% of my heart into.
Toaster Sweater #2 was a perfect jump-start to get back into garment sewing this fall.
When all was said and done, I made this sweater in an afternoon. I have a weakness for funnel necks/turtlenecks and jumped on this pattern as soon as I saw it as part of the Indiesew Fall Collection (now I need to check out Toaster Sweater #1!). The fabric is such a soft, yummy french terry and I just want to wrap myself up in a giant french terry burrito with this fabric. If you’re thinking about making this pattern, make sure to pick a fabric that has some body to it for the neck to sit correctly, anything jersey-like will result in a flimsy neck and the neck facing may flop open.
I loved the construction of the funnel neck – it’s a brilliant way of drafting the facing into the neckline and constructing the curved shoulder seam in the beginning of making the sweater. Hard to explain, but pretty cool when you make it.
I’m gravitating towards loose-fitting tops and dresses these days and I love the a-line fit of this sweater – see how roomy it is? The only thing I would change next time is to lengthen the top – I love the split hem and the hi/lo design, but I feel like it’s a smidge too short in the front for my liking. I’m also wearing a tank top underneath because the splits go pretty high on the side and I would be flashing some skin without an underlayer.
The mitered corner instructions were great, too, and made it easy to hem everything in place with professional-looking results. I used my twin needle for both the sleeve hems and bottom hem, pivoting around the slit opening.
Did you know there’s a Toaster Sweater #1 as well? I’m itching to try my hand at that one since I love #2 so much – I wore it twice already in the last week!
Love your sweater Lucinda and I’m a big fan of french terry but I’ve learned a few things about it – make sure it’s top quality! I bought some meters of it a while ago and I can’t remember where – might have been online? and after I washed it, it literally turned into a limp rag with very little stretch. On the other hand I bought some from a reputable seller and paid a fair bit for it but it was so worth it! Beautiful, warm, cozy, stretchy. Gorgeous. I love this sweater and I too am a fan of these funnel necks – great advice though on making sure the fabric has enough body to hold it’s shape otherwise it looks limp – like a sewing mistake 🙂
Author
That’s so true about french terry! I had some pieces that pilled after a few wears and the loops snagged in the inside. This is my second fabric from Indiesew’s fabric shop and she really has a good eye for quality fabrics, I highly recommend checking out the selection. She updates the selection pretty regularly.
Such a cute sweater and your haircut is excellent. I don’t see puffy hair I see “lush”.
Ahh I love it! I just bought this pattern yesterday with the Thanksgiving sale, and I’m so excited! That french terry looks unbelievably snuggly. I have some lightweight terry that would be so cute if it’s not too drapey. But it might be too drapey. Buttttt like it’s already in my house, so.
I’m having serious sweater envy, it’s beautiful!
Will you please help me figure out the mitered corners? I understand how to do it, but the instructions say to fold the side vent 1 1/8 in, but if I do that, I’m left with an extra 7/8 in on the side. Did you fold under the hem on the side vent?
Author
I honestly don’t remember!