Vogue 9026 - Front sequin sweatshirt in gray

Scraps. We all have them – those pieces that are too big to throw away but not big enough to do much with. I keep thinking I’ll use some of mine to make something for my daughter. She’s tiny and her clothing doesn’t require much yardage. I never do, though, and they just keep piling up. However, these days it’s perfectly acceptable to use several different textiles in one garment. I had a rather sizable piece of sequin fabric left over from this skirt and I decided to make it into a sweatshirt. I ordered one yard of Mood fabric’s Cadet charcoal french terry cotton knit and the matching Cadet charcoal rib knit in the hopes that they would match the silver baby sequin fabric I’d used last month. The colors blended perfectly. I pre-washed it all, including the sequins, so I could launder this top easily.

The pattern is Vogue 9026 - now sadly OOP - only 1 year after its release. I really liked the slanted front seams and the V neckline which I've not seen on other sweatshirt patterns. I cut the small and had zero fit issues. The center front and center back seams were eliminated – not sure why they’re there anyway. I used the french terry for the body and sleeves and the rib knit for the binding at the neckline, cuffs and bottom band.

The bottom band was doubled in length, an idea I copied from Amy’s pink cowl top made last year. I also think this pattern would be cute as a short dress. Hmm..

These fabrics were such a joy to work with. Seriously, I’ve got to get more cotton knits. They behave and don’t slip around or stretch out like ITY knits do. They are also SO comfortable to wear and hide a multitude of lumps and bumps.

I used a longer stitch length and topstitched the rib knit down at every seam.

I used a bit of black tricot from my stash to line the sequin area. They’re sewn to mesh and I thought they might be see-through under the right lighting. I sewed the tricot and sequins to the terrycloth burrito style so I wouldn’t have to do any handstitching. This also contained any rough sequin edges that might irritate my skin.

I finished the sleeves and armholes with an overlocking stitch.

Dressform pictures:

This was a really fun project to sew up and it went together quickly. It also got me thinking about the fashion sweatshirt I made 2 years ago that I rarely wear. The body fabric is thick and quilted, which caused a bump at the hemline and just wasn't flattering. It made me look like a brick. So, while I still had this Vogue pattern out, I used the bottom band pattern piece and some leftover black ribbing (more scrap fabric) to band it. What do you think?

I like it much better this way, and will hopefully get more wear out of it.

I am having a ton of fun making tops lately and have another in the works that I'm almost done with. I still like the complicated designer patterns and using fancy fabrics but am really wanting to add some hand made items to my casual wardrobe.

Note: All fabrics used for the sequin sweatshirt were purchased with my Mood Fabrics monthly allowance, as part of my participation in the Mood Sewing Network.