I’ve been having twin-needle fun making my embellished sweatshirt using Grasser 862. It’s the second time I’ve sewn this pattern (see the first here). My first version in blush pink pretty much followed the original centre panel design but you know I love to tinker with a pattern and ever since my blush pink one I wanted another in winter white.
Once again I got my sweatshirt fabric from Calico Laine. It’s a cotton/poly blend fleece-backed fabric and is beautifully soft and bouncy. Very warm and cosy too.
So on to the pattern, Grasser 862, has four possible combinations of design, there’s a hood option as well as welted sleeves and hem. Oh, and there is a kangaroo pocket option well but I left it off as I didn’t want the added bulk. I adored the big collar of my first iteration in blush so I went with that again. It’s a really well-drafted pattern and has the perfect amount of ease for me. My main adjustment was to just add more of a defined bustline and more shape over my bust by altering the side front panels. I pleated out a little dart shape and then shaved a bit off the back length to get the sides to match (it was plenty long enough).
You can read more about my adjustments and pattern size in the post about my first version of this top linked above.
Overall this pattern is a straightforward sew apart from the extra stitching on the front panel (of course, you could omit the stitching feature completely if you want it plain). As I said earlier, for my first one I just did the diamond design of twin-needle stitching but I wanted to do something a bit different for this version.
I wanted my twin-needle stitching to have more oomph and to achieve it I used a 4mm twin-needle and deliberately let the stitching ‘tunnel’…to get it to do that I didn’t shorten my stitch length (I used about 3-3.5 length) and I slightly loosened the main tension.
I decided to do ‘wiggly squares’ for want of a better term!
First of all, I marked the pattern on my fabric quite roughly. I used a water-erasable pen that I tested first to make sure that it really was water-erasable. Then with my walking foot fitted I simply followed the lines as best I could. It didn’t matter if the lines ended up not following my markings too closely because I wanted a more freehand effect.
I couldn’t be more pleased with how the front panel looks. It was so fun to do and less nerve-wracking than having to form precise and evenly spaced lines. Once the stitching was done I placed the pattern piece over my fabric to make sure the stitching hadn’t pulled it out of shape or made it shrink up. I had deliberately cut it a little bigger just in case.
This whole project was very enjoyable from start to finish…love those sorts of makes don’t you? I used my overlocker to sew all of the seams so it was pretty quick to do and those centre panels only took 20mins each to embellish. Overall, I’m really, really pleased with my top and it goes with tons of other pieces in my wardrobe.
Do you feel tempted to try some decorative twin-needling? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading, see you soon!
Just fabulous. I think I will have to try this as the wiggly lines look so much easier than stitching a grid and lots of fun too.
Author
Thank you, Chris! It’s definitely easier to do the wiggly lines as it doesn’t matter if you go off course a little.
I really love this, you have inspired me to give it a go.
Author
Thank you! Ooh, I’m so pleased that you feel inspired to try it yourself! Cheers Sue!
What a gorgeous “elevated” sweatshirt! Who knew a sweatshirt could be so posh?! I love the “winter white” as well but honestly white scares me. I’m so clutzy. I have been having some fun with embellishment too. My latest is “couching” around a pocket on the Sewing Workshop’s Icon Shirt. I’m Sewing Workshop obsessed these days. Linda’s patterns are always so much fun to sew. My wardrobe has very few shirts and for our weather (I’m in Victoria BC Canada) they work best throughout the year. Once I have a few shirts done I’m onto knits for the summer in UPF. I’ve decided that if I’m wearing a knit in the summer it’s UPF all the way 🙂 and that clothing is quite pricey to buy so my sewing hobby is actually moving into “saving me money territory”!
Author
Thank you, Kathleen! Well…I’m wondering how long my top will stay clean in this colour. We shall see…hehe!
I’m glad you’ve sussed out what’s going to work for you and those workshops sound like a great inspiration source. And well done for being sun-safe, that’s so important and what a boon to be saving money. Arent we lucky to be able to sew just what we want?
Love it. Your ideas and skills are always first class. Great pattern and fabric choice.
Author
So kind of you to say, thanks, Pat!
Diane,
Love your new winter white sweater, really — too elegant to be a sweatshirt, even in fleece! Your wavy squares are wonderful and smart (no matching in a panel!). Your shaping for the bust is a subtle but important detail: a reason to sew for ourselves…
Author
I’m really glad we sew for ourselves…Thanks for the kind words, Joan. I’m wearing the top today and feel wonderful in it.
Love everyjthing about your new winter white make. Your wiggly squares are just the perfect design element to mkae this stand out as extraordinaire. Great job.
Author
Ohhh, thanks so much, Diane (great name by the way 😉 )