Black and Grey Wrap Sweater - Vogue 9111
If there are any of you who follow my blog regularly I apologize that I haven't been posting much lately. There are several reasons for that most importantly I had some orders for TipStitched to fill, which is great! I want to keep my customers happy! Secondly, I think I needed a little break after the Fabricista Fashion Challenge. And lastly it has been very gloomy here for the last couple of weeks so the few pieces I have sewn I couldn't photograph. But the sun is finally back out and I was able to get a few pics of this cute top!
I have to admit I would have never given Vogue 9111 a second glance based on the pattern envelope. The image on the envelope looks sort of boring and baggy to me, but when Mimi G used it for her Michael Levine October Mini Dress Sew Along I thought “I have to have that pattern”. StyleSewMe also sewed up a beautiful navy blue version keeping it as a top. That is part of the reason I follow other sewists...to steal oops I mean be inspired by their vision. Often times I see a piece by a blogger and think "really?? they made that from that pattern?" All of us see things differently and I'm happy when someone can open my eyes to something I would have missed.
In her sew along Mimi G modifies the View B top into a mini dress, which I love and still plan to make.I decided to stick to the top because I never sew tops and I need to, especially for fall/winter. If you follow me on periscope (@frougiefashionista) you may have seen my Fabric Haul show and tell video about a month back. (FYI I have another piece coming this week sewn up from another fabric I showed off in that video.) This black and gray sweater knit was from that shopping trip. I grabbed it at a local store's remnant sale for just $1.99/yd!!! It was about 2 yds so just $4 dollars! I thought this fabric would be perfect for the top as I thought the stripes would show of the wrap detail beautifully.
I was unsure at first whether to cut a Small or Medium. I was hoping a small would work but didn't want to be in denial about my weight gain and sew a piece that was too small to wear. I ended up going with a small even though that only allowed 1" of ease in the bust area and 2" of negative ease at the hip. That is partially because I tend to like my clothing fitted but mostly because I only and about 2yds of fabric and the Medium called for 2-3/8 yds. Also I had read a couple of reviews that said the pattern ran large. (In general I do cut a small in Vogue loose fitting patterns. see here and here)View B came together quickly mainly because it only consists of 3 pattern pieces (front, back and sleeve). There is a considerable about of narrow hemming (the neckline from wrap end to wrap end and the bottom hem) which I typically hate but really wasn't that bad. All in all it took a few hours to sew up I would guess.
I definitely plan on making more of these, possibly View C at some point, but first I think I will View B in a mini dress. I have some fabric on the way I think will be perfect for a holiday dress.
Pattern: Vogue 9111 (view B)Pattern Description Loose-fitting, pullover top has neck and hemline variations, narrow hem, and stitched hem on sleeves. Wrong side may show on hemline. B and C: Mock-wrap, bias front. Note: No provisions provided for above waist adjustment.Sizing: (XS-S-M), (L-XL-XXL)Difficulty: 1/beginnerFabric Used: Grey and Black Jersey Sweater KnitDoes it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope? No it looked much better (to me)Were the instructions easy to follow? Easy but the narrow hemming might be annoying to some.Likes: I like the wrap front as I think it is flattering.Dislikes: NonePattern alterations or any design changes made: None. I cut a size smaller than the sizing chart recommends (S)Would I sew it again? Yes I want to make another top in View B and a mini dress version of View B (tutorial by Mimi G here)Would I recommend it to others? Definitely!Conclusion: Great quick sew for a dressed up sweater.
