SweetKM Cowl Sweater & Seamwork Neenah

It's February and it seems like I've been cold for day, weeks, months maybe. I've had layers on the brain, warm fleecy layers. This combination is a self-drafted cowl neck sweater on top for warmth, and a snug Neenah Turtleneck from Seamwork to lock in the body heat. I'm wearing them here with my denim Persephone Pants by Anna Allen that I blogged about before. 

This self-drafted sweater is the third iteration of a sweater pattern I started playing with last year. You can see the original version here, and I may blog about it before spring. After playing with the layers with the first sweater I decided I wanted a giant thick cowl sweater to wear over another turtleneck. My sister is pretty sure I got the two turtleneck idea from my mom. Maybe I did, but I definitely got my tendency to be perpetually cold from her. I liked the idea of the underlay peaking out at neck and sleeves.  

To make the giant cowl I made a dickie size sample to make sure I could get it over my head and was as enormous as my vision. I used the basic body shape of the pervious sweater but cut 5" off the length. I measured the front from the wrong line on my pattern and ended up taking a bit extra off, but I like the exaggerated difference between the front and the back at the side slit. The sleeves have a 3" cuff and can be worn folded or straight. 

The brown fabric is Rayon Sweatshirt Fleece in Cocoa from Fabric.com*. I can't say enough about this fabric. The cotton makes it very sturdy and cozy and the rayon gives it a drape that makes it feel more dressed up than your average sweatshirt. I would buy it again in every color. 

I've been meaning to try the Neenah Turtleneck pattern by Seamwork forever. But I sometimes get stuck in a rut with a pattern that works and I don't take the time to try something new. I really like this form fitting turtleneck style, and would make it again. 

The fabric is a Rayon Spandex Jersey knit in black and tan (similar) from fabric .com*. The light weight is great for a bottom layer, but paired with the slim fit, I might not wear it on its own very often. 

Details:

Cowl Sweater Pattern: Self-Drafted

Cowl Sweater Fabric: Rayon Sweatshirt Fleece from Fabric.com*

Turtleneck Pattern: Neenah Turtleneck by Seamwork 

Turtleneck Fabric: Rayon Spandex Yarn Dyed Stripe (similar) from Fabric.com*

Pants Pattern: Persephone Pants by Anna Allen Clothing

Pants Fabric: 10oz. Denim from Indie Sew 

*Fabric.com links are affiliate links.

Denim Persephone Pants & Plaid Archer Buttonup

I've been bogged down by life for the past few months. All good things, and all time sensitive over commitments, and unrealistic personal expectations. I see what I get from them in the long run, but don't get much out of them right now. Not sewing, makes me not feel like myself. I start to have an identity crisis, I feel a productivity deficit, I start shopping at Uniqlo. It's a brutal downward spiral of cheap clothing and regret. Luckily, my first finished outfit of 2019 (and actually a late 2018 make) feels exactly like me. Like Kristi Morrow in 100% cotton. A handmade Archer Button Up shirt, and custom fit Persephone Pants to help me regain some focus, or maybe just do all that other crap in style.

The plaid was the genesis of this outfit. If you could review my Etsy search history you'd know that cotton Madras plaid weighs heavily on my mind between the hours of 9:30 and midnight. I saw this beauty last spring in the Indie Sew fabric shop and knew I wanted it for an Archer. The Persephone Pants were on my to sew list so I also picked up that pattern and some 10 ounce denim for a trial run. Then we moved, then went away for the summer, then came back to a dramatically different family routine and a sewing room in shambles and my making focus totally went off the rails.

The top. As mentioned before this is the Archer Button Up from Grainline Studio. I've made it many times before, and I have the pattern tweaked to fit just the way I like it. I love to sew a sure thing, particularly when it take a few days of sewing time to make it happen. This Archer is exactly what I wanted, exactly the way I wanted it.

The pants are the Persephone Pants by Anna Allen. Like everybody else I was skeptical of the fit with no side seam. Usually the side seam is the last one I sew so I can easily tinker with the ease. Uncertainty is part of the reason I didn't sew these sooner. My time is short, I don't want to waste it on something that I won't even be able to wear. All those worries were for nothing, these fit darn good with a minimal amount of fuss. I thought long and hard about hacking my own side seam into them. Glad I didn't, the smooth curve across the tush is what sets this design apart.

I did extend the crotch curve of the back about 1", and I shaved 1/2" off the rise at the front to blend into the back. I also made the darts a bit deeper. This was far less that I thought I would have to do. As far as pants go, those are tiny adjustments for me. The bummer is I sewed on, and top stitched the waistband before giving them a final try one, and I ended up taking it off again to make my adjustments. I sacrificed the pocket topstitching for ease of putting them back together. Not a big deal, but the lining peaks out sometimes. The button is a long treasured vintage textured plastic button from my stash. The main pants fabric is 10oz denim from Indie Sew. It's good stuff, and the dark color and dark top stitching hide any flaws that are a result of these being a wearable muslin.

Pants Pattern: Persephone Pants by Anna Allen from Indie Sew
Pants Fabric: 10 oz. Denim from Indie Sew (sold out, similar*)
Shirt Pattern: Archer Button Up by Grainline Studio
Shirt Fabric: Cotton Plaid Shirting from Indie Sew (sold out, also nice* or similar*)


*fabric.com links are affiliate links.

Just a note to say that blogger isn't allowing me to respond to comments on blog posts at the moment.  I love your input and I'm reading them all. I'll try to get to the bottom of the problem soon!