The Style Arc Simone Knit Cardigan is an excellent pattern.  I love it so much that I’ve sewn it four times.  These are versions three and four.

The Style Arc website describes this pattern as follows: SIMONE KNIT CARDIGAN: This clever cardigan pattern has been designed so as the drape creates the pocket. An easy every day must have cardi. Make it with or without buttons.  FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Knit jersey, Slinky or any drapery knit.

The main feature of this cardigan is of course the drape pocket.  It’s all cut in one, and with a couple of folds and a few stitches you have a pocket hidden inside a draped fold.  I love it!

Both these were sewn in soft ponte. I wouldn’t want to use a much heavier fabric than a ponte, as there is quite a bit of bulk in the hemline where the pockets are formed. I used plenty of pins when I was hemming it and it all sits well.

I sewed size 12. Construction was on the overlocker, with the machine used to twin needle hemlines and to secure the front band. The printed fabric came from Rathdowne Fabrics, and the stripe from Spotlight.

Simplicity 1198 is described on the Simplicity website as follows: misses’ v-neck knit top has sleeve variations, optional contrast yoke and panel with asymmetric hemlines. the scoop neck knit top has sleeve options and a beautifully draped hemline.

I bought this pattern for view E, with the side tuck/drape (although I am likely to sew view A/B/C at some stage too, I suspect).  There are a few reviews of it online, many mentioning that it runs large.

Because of the reviews, I decided to delve into scraps and hopefully make a wearable muslin. I sewed size Medium, which is a 14-16, dubious about going down to the Small (size 10 – 12) given my weight gain. As it turns out this is quite a roomy top, but not inappropriately so. Except for the neckline – it is wider and deeper than it needs to be, but not unwearably so.

This is much easier to sew than you would imagine! There are only four pattern pieces – front, back, sleeves, neck band. The drape is created by taking a fold at one side of the pattern – just follow the instructions and you’ll have no issues.

Construction was on the overlocker, with the machine used to twin needle hems and secure the neckband. The next time I make it – there will definitely be a next time – I will make the neckline smaller. It is quite wearable as it is, however. I also like the tunic length and asymmetrical hemline. I’ve also seen this pattern lengthened to a dress, and would like to give that a try as well.

By the way, the fabric is from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 table a couple of years ago, the scraps left over from this dress. I didn’t have many options for how to place the print, given I was working with leftovers, but it still worked out okay!

I have had New Look 6330 in my stash for a little while. There are a few reviews of it around the blogs, but not many. I bought it because I fancied sewing the jacket.

There’s not a great deal of information about this pattern on the website. Misses’ knit pattern includes top, pants with elastic waist and long sleeve cardigan in two lengths with front closure. Pants can also be made in wovens. 

I had only seen view C sewn up, the cardigan/jacket with the more conventional hemline, whereas I (possibly unsurprisingly) wanted to sew the version with the pointed front and back corners.  After reading some reviews and checking the pattern piece measurements I decided to sew size 14, but I petite-ed the body pieces by folding out some body length at around waist height throughout.  Now that the jacket is finished I think that maybe I overdid this part.

Actually, I think that the fit overall is pretty good – I just might need to unpick those closures and buttons and move them down a little. I wanted them above waist height, but think that they’re a little too empire line where they are.

This was easy to construct. I used the overlocker for most of it, and the twin needle for hems and to secure the front bands. The fabric is ponte from Darn Cheap Fabrics, and I found the buttons in stash. The closures are a simple loop on each side, one threaded through the other, and looped around the buttons. Much simpler to do than it looks.

It’s an interesting silhouette. I’m surprised that more people haven’t sewn this one, actually. I really like jackets in stretch fabrics for work.

I’ll say right from the start that I am VERY happy with how this top has turned out.

It is the Style Arc Kylie knit top. From their website: KYLIE KNIT TOP: Fashionable and functional top. The overlay has a high low hemline and an opening down the back. This top can be made long or short sleeves therefore suitable for all seasons. Need a basic tee? – Just leave the overlay off.  FABRIC SUGGESTION: Knit jersey.

Firstly, I didn’t sew this in knit jersey – well, not far off though.  I used a lightweight ponte from Spotlight that has a fair bit of stretch, despite being a double knit.  Must be plenty of spandex in that one!  I used size 12, but removed most of the waist shaping in the under layer.

Construction was on the overlocker, and most hems twin needled by machine. I really like the overlayer – the shaping is terrific on me, as is the variation in its length. And that split in the back is lovely too!

The neckband is sandwiched between the underlayer and the overlayer, and to do this according to the instructions is actually rather tricky. I am sure that I recall this mentioned on other blogs that I have read as well. I had to unpick it and re-do it the first time around. The next time I make this pattern I will probably just apply the neckband once the two layers have been placed together. This means that there will be a seam allowance on the inside, rather than as it is now hidden between the two layers, but I think that it might all sit better that way anyway. At the moment there can be some slight pulling at the front neckline where the seam allowance is secured to the underlayer of the top but not the overlayer and therefore creates different levels of tension.

I also did a pretty poor job of setting in the sleeves. I really should have eased the sleeve cap in, but because I was being lazy I took advantage of the nature of the fabric and just stretched the armscye to fit. However this does affect the final shaping a little. You might not know if I hadn’t pointed it out, but I am aware of it. When setting in sleeves in the round, you really are better off easing the sleeve cap than stretching the armscye. Remember that Lara!  You can see what it’s done to the sleeve cap in these photos, probably exacerbated by there being two layers of ponte in the body of the top but only one layer in the sleeves.

Fortunately, my friend Kathryn sewed this top at Sewjourn in May and I was able to try hers on before I made mine. It’s handy to try before you sew! Her father made the lovely wooden bead necklace that I am wearing in these photos. Thanks so much Kathryn’s dad!

This pattern has a lot of potential. I have a much lighter weight printed knit earmarked to sew it in next. I think that it would look wonderful with the overlayer and sleeves sewn in a sheer fabric too. And as Style Arc suggest, you could play with sleeve length, or just bind the armholes.  Despite the imperfections of this version, I really, really like it and am wearing it a lot.

I have been eyeing off Waffle Patterns for some time now.  I first came across them through the Oliver + S pattern shop, but I didn’t actually hit the “buy now” button on any until I saw the Vanilla Diagonal Knit Top.

The description from the website is as follows:
+++ DESIGN
*Asymmetric dolman sleeve knit top. 
*The diagonal pattern cutting makes unique drapes and silhouette.
*loose fit with hem and cuff bands.
*3/4 sleeve length.
*Border or plaid pattern fabrics will make diagonal effect on the bodice.
*2 options for the neckline.
*Very easy to sew without difficult details.

This top is similar to some of those found in the Japanese sewing book series Drape Drape, as well as one in the latest Great British Sewing Bee book and I’m sure I’ve seen similar from Kwik Sew and McCalls.  Anyway, the finished samples that I saw on Instagram and the pattern page were enough to make me buy this one.

I liked the V-neckline option that came with this pattern, although I did have a number of difficulties when sewing it. V-necks with narrow bands on knit fabrics can be challenging – but I got there in the end. I also liked the diagonal hemline and the 3/4 sleeve – and of course, the fact that it was a loose fitting top with plenty of drape.

The above photo is my “check out my stripe matching” photo. The lovely cotton/spandex stripe came from Rathdowne Fabrics. It is a beautiful quality fabric and was lovely to work with. I sewed size 40, which was smaller than my measurements would have suggested, but I could still have gone down another size. There is loads of ease in this top. My hip size is a couple of sizes smaller than my waist, and this style really does need to fit around the hips in order for the volume to be a little more “contained”.

The above photo shows that the top is a fraction large through the shoulders and neckline – a little bit flashdance, maybe? However, it stays on my shoulders, so is perfectly wearable as it is. I think that this is a great pattern, and the sleeve and hem bands just make it a bit more wearable for me than other draped/twisted/asymmetrical tops that I have seen.

The jeans are Style Arc Misty jeans, in a brilliant “comfort” stretch denim from M.Recht that I will buy by the bucketload if it ever comes back into stock.

A year or two ago I took part in a Jungle January fabric swap.  While I sent some of this gorgeous zebra-striped linen from Darn Cheap Fabrics to Liz, I also bought a length to keep.  You’re not really surprised, are you?

So, this is actually the first Named Patterns Inari Dress that I sewed, quite some months ago. I think it was a non-seasonal sew, which made it perfect to take up to FNQ.

I suspect that I sewed the straight size 40. I have heard that others have had difficulties with the armscye drafting of this pattern restricting movement – I haven’t experienced that as an issue at all. Maybe it just depends on your shape!  No concerns at all in wearing – but be aware that when you sit down or bend over that hemline definitely rises!

Those curved side seams and the splits at the bottom really make this dress, in my opinion. I know that the top version has been popular too, but it seems pretty “meh” and standard to me. It’s the dress shaping that really appeals.

Construction was shared between the overlocker and the sewing machine. I finished the neckline with a facing, that I topstitched down, and I also topstitched the hems to secure. I wear this one with the sleeve cuffs folded up (with my ponte Inari I leave them down).

If you like a sack dress – you all know thatI do! – and for some reason you haven’t sewn this one yet, I do recommend it. Especially in linen – the way that the fabric relaxes and moulds to your body, without clinging in any way, makes for a terrific summer garment.