Hello lovely readers! It's been awhile since my last post, which I am going to blame completely on the weather. Freezing cold temperatures and short days kind of kills my sew-jo, and my blog-jo (yes that's a thing). There aren't many fabrics in my stash that lend themselves to cold weather garments, and who wants to sew summer dresses in the middle of snowmageddon! However, this black and white heart sweater fabric was a perfect match for these frigid days!

Enjoying coffee with brunch on a snow day!
The fabric was purchased at The Needle Shop in Chicago, but is now sold out. 
(Update: Found it here on e-bay! Move quick, it's free shipping!)

I got two yards and was able to squeeze two sweaters out of it - there's even some left over!

The black ribbing for both was purchased at Joann Fabrics. 

VERSION 1: DEER & DOE PLANTAIN TUNIC HEART SWEATER




I've made this free Plantain t-shirt pattern quite a few times - see (1) and (2)*now worn by my cutie pie sister. In fact, this version is my #2 most viewed post of all time! Lol :) The only design changes I made were:

- Lengthen hem a few inches for tunic length
- Graded out at the hips
- Lengthen sleeves and add ribbed cuff
- Raise neckline an inch

This pattern is pretty much perfect out of the envelope!

VERSION 2: GERTIE'S VINTAGE TEE HEART SWEATER



This pattern is new to me. I wanted to make a sweater like this one, found on Pinterest. Thankfully, Gertie's newest sewing book, Gertie Sew's Vintage Casual, includes one with several of the same features (fitted, short sleeve, crew neck).

Sizing: 6 bust, 8 waist, 10 hips

Changes/Alterations:

- Lengthened sleeve by a couple inches
- Added sleeve band with black ribbing
- Lengthened sweater by an inch or two

It is definitely a fitted sweater, a little more than I would like. This may be due to the fabric not having quite as much stretch as, say, a jersey knit. Also, the armscye is too small and tight. Is this something that going up to a size 8 at the bust would fix? Or is it more complicated than that?


Here is a side by side comparison :)


The Verdict: While these are both great little sweaters, the Plantain will probably get more wear because it fits better. I would love to wear the short one over a collared tank (in my sewing queue!). Expect more fabric double-duty next week when I post a Rigel bomber jacket, made with the same black flocked polka dots as my Moneta from January.

And you may have noticed, I have a shiny new pair of glasses! I've never had wear-all-the-time glasses before, so this will be a definite adjustment. The prescription is not super strong, but it has already helped with strain and headaches. I just got them last week and really like them :)