Sharon Sews

Fall weather has finally arrived here in Texas. That means the a/c is turned off, the shorts are tucked away, and the long sleeve tops are once again being worn. I recently sewed the Banff Dolman Sweater from the Sew News Capsule Studio Plush pattern collection and have found myself wearing it over and over.  While there are a plethora of dolman sleeve knit top patterns available to sew, this one has a colorblocked yoke which makes it a bit unique.  Plus it was included in this PDF pattern collection :-) It's a very 80s shape, and I recall having multiple dolman sleeve sweaters back then.  A quick count in my closet revealed I currently have six dolman sleeve tops that I'll rotate through this season. The recommendation on this top is to choose the size by your waist measurement. I'm guessing because it's designed to "bunch" up at your waist, rather than fall over your hip.  I choose the pattern by my full bust adjustment, and then graded down in the hip area...

The KAWARTHA Cardi Jacket is another PDF pattern included in the Sew News Capsule Studio: Plus h. It's designed for shearling or a heavy knit. I choose to sew mine in this bright cotton candy pink shearling knit I purchased from Super Textiles (link to Etsy shop here ).  The KAWARTHA jacket has a shawl collar, facings, and open front with a fur hook and eye closure. I added a patch pocket on the right side as I like having a place to tuck my phone.  The jacket is a pretty quick sew. After all, there are very few pattern pieces.  The recommendation is to choose this pattern by your bust measurement. I choose to sew a large based on my full bust measurement. I didn't do a full bust adjustment and had plenty of room in the bust. However, the hip area flares out, and I'm not sure if that was an intentional design feature or not. Here's the back view. I like that it covers my rear :-) The designer rated this one as an intermediate skill level, and I'm guessing that is be...

The BALA Wrap Top and TREMBLANT Pleated Pants are both PDF patterns included in the Sew News Capsule Studio: Plush.  The capsule studio collection includes tips for sewing cozy fabrics, like Minky, as well as information on sewing with faux fur.  There are also tips for matching plaids included with the instructions for the pants.  There are six PDF patterns in this collection, each available in sizes XS (bust 33", waist 24-1/2", hip 35") to 7X (bust 58", waist 49-1/2", hip 60").   I sewed five of the six: BALA Wrap Top, TREMBLANT Pleated Pants, BANFF Dolman Sweater, MOONSTONE Jumpsuit, and KAWARTHA Cardi Jacket. I didn't have the supplies on hand to sew the WHISTLER Bucket Bag. That's a sewing project for another day. Make note that the seam allowances vary per project, so be sure to double check if you need to use 3/8", 1/2", or 5/8".  I'd also suggest you print, tile, and trace your pattern pieces before purchasing fabric. ...