Maybe you remember the Hot Patterns Swingy Sweatshirt I blogged a month or so ago?  It was really a wearable muslin for this Hot Patterns Swingy Sweaterdress.

I was always more attracted to the semi-V neckline option of this pattern, and thought that it would work well with this bold chevron printed knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics. Because the print it so full on, I decided to keep the rest of the dress simple and chose the cuff-less sleeve option and left off the pockets.

I had bought the fabric before deciding to use this pattern, so had a little creative pattern cutting to do. I’m pretty impressed at how well I have managed to match the stripes across the centre back seam.

The sleeves are actually faced and then the facing secured by twin needle stitching. As with the sweatshirt, the wide sleeves can get in the way a little bit, and it’s hard to fit a coat over the top. Fortunately I have a cape that works!

This was very easy to sew. I did however have a problem when taping the pdf together. The pieces that are used to lengthen the sweater into a dress did not line up properly with the size lines of the main pattern pieces, so I needed to make some corrections to keep the width correct while adding the length. It wasn’t a big deal, but is something to be aware of.

Construction was on the overlocker, but I used the twin needle alongside the front seams to highlight them. I also twin needled the neckline facing in place. As with the sweater, I trimmed off the point at the armhole shoulder seam, which made the sleeve sit much more nicely.  I sewed size 10, which seems to work for me in Hot Patterns knits (I measure at size 14).

I’ve been wearing this with a cowl that was sewn from the scraps, but really, a print like this doesn’t need much accessorising!

From the Hot Patterns website: Get the laid-back cool and classic comfort of a sweatshirt or sweater dress, with a dressy, modern twist. Top and dress are designed for knit fabrics with a little body and stretch, like velour or stretch velvet, ponte or double knits, French terry, lightweight fleece, sweatshirt, T-shirt, or sweater knits. Pull-on A-line sweatshirt or sweater dress has a center back seam, angled side seams & bust darts for a neat fit. Mix up the details for the perfect look: choose a long flared sleeve or add a turn-back cuff; make the optional cut-in pockets or not; pick a boat-neck or a shapely semi-V neck. Make it your best length too, either a thigh-length tunic or a knee length dress. Sleeve and body hems and necklines are finished with deep stitched facings. These are the perfect throw-on-&-go pieces-try skinny or bootcut pants under the sweatshirt, pull on your favorite boots with the dress, maybe add a scarf and you’re d-o-n-e done…