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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Burda 2483 - A Holey Sweatshirt


This top started with the fabric. I found this novelty fabric on Marcy's website some months ago. It is a fuzzy grey fabric with holes edged in a bluish teal color. The back of the fabric has a teal colored blue tulle fused to the grey fabric. So the holes are "filled" with teal-colored mesh. Very unusual.

I knew right away that I wanted to use a solid teal contrast. I then bought three rayon lycra fabrics, two by mail order, and one in a fabric store, but without a swatch of the novelty fabric at hand. None was right. All three are a greenish teal and not a blue teal. I now understand when a friend of mine talks about the challenge of finding the "right teal". Blue-teal, in particular, seems to be hard to find these days.

I finally decided enough was enough. It isn't a perfect match, but I used the green teal. In the photos, it looks like a close match, but in real life, it is off.

I spent a lot of time dithering on whether I wanted a zip-up sweatshirt with a hood, or a pullover with a tube neckline. The tube neckline won, largely because I wanted to try this double collar. The outside collar, out of the holey fabric, is finished with a channel. At center front are two black grommets and a thin self tie is threaded through. The inside collar, made from the teal lycra jersey, is taller than the outside collar and is finished with a channel through which I inserted plastic tubing from the hardware store.

Other than the collar, this is a very straightforward pullover. The novelty knit has 2-way stretch. The stretch ran along the length of the fabric, so I cut it on the crosswise grain so the stretch would go around the body. I did my usual knit FBA, which meant lengthening the front 1-1/2". But when I went to sew the side seams, I could not ease the fullness in at the side seam because the knit, quite literally, had no give whatsoever in the other direction. So I sewed standard darts and that worked fine. The only other alteration I made was to narrow the shoulder by 2".

Finally, I wanted to add a pocket. I used a hanging pocket, also trimmed and lined in the teal rayon lycra jersey.

And that's it! (Oh, I should mention that I am wearing this over a black tee, or you would see through it.)

Arrow points to the upper right corner of the hanging pocket. I resisted the temptation to put two googly eyes above the mouth-like opening. :)

42 comments:

  1. Darling top, shams. I think this top is anything but plain and has lots of interesting details.

    Karendee

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  2. Your interesting details make this a very special "sweatshirt"! I particularly love the collar...

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  3. Ooo, nice! I actually have some of this, too. :) I stared at it for a long time, and finally decided I would design something with the inside facing out -- I like the sheen of the tulle and acrylic fiber flattened against it (only visible on the reverse side -- totally different than the right side), and I liked the idea of having the underside fleecy. Haven't made it yet, but it's high on my winter-wear list. It's great to see how you worked with it!
    (Rebecca in the Bay Area)

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  4. OMG I love that fabric. Grey is my favorite color and teal is a very close second. Beautiful combination, and awesome finished product! I wish I could work with patterns!

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  5. Interesting fabric! I like the neckline and the hanging pocket.

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  6. Great top, Shams. I love that fabric, and the teal you added looks just fine. Sometimes it just doesn't matter if the colors match perfectly.
    I'm enjoying seeing your pockets, which look like they might be from Diane Ericson's "Just Pockets" pattern. Do you have it? I do, and I love looking through the instruction pages for inspiration. She's full of unique design ideas!

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    1. Dixie, I recently got Diane's Just Pockets pattern, but this pocket is not from there. I've done hanging pockets before - I love them!

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  7. Cool! Gives me some ideas of what I might do wit a mesh fabric with holes in it (not as nice as that though).

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  8. It's marvellous how you 'see' a pattern and then make it into something so much more.

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  9. The collar is fascinating. Is it comfortable to wear with the tubing?

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  10. Thats fabulous...but I kind of miss the googly eyes.

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  11. Great top! I love the fabric and the collar treatment.

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  12. That's a wonderful dressy sweatshirt. Holey fabrics are in style so as always, you are very trendy!

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  13. Shams, I just love your funky and fun style. You are my inspiration!!
    Ilse

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  14. Great 'sweat shirt'. I love your details. What fun to wear. I love your inspiration. At the moment I'm sewing vicariously thru the most of SG. "Soon" I'll have time.
    Marcia

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  15. I love it, even without the googly eyes! I have a couple of questions: Did the pattern call for plastic tubing? Sooooo interesting! Is it removable for washing? How does it feel? Is it soft like aquarium tubing?
    GREAT combination of fabrics and pattern, along with your own touches. That pocket: are there instructions somewhere for it?
    {{The pattern number in the title of your post is 2483 but it's 2843 on the pattern envelope.}}
    Yes, Shams, you inspire me, too! Thanks for a great post and photos. Hope you thoroughly wearing this "holey sweatshirt"!

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    1. Thanks, Sandra! No, the pattern did not. No, it is not removable. I "seamed" it by abutting the edges and wrapped with duct tape. It should be fully washable. It is very soft. I don't have an aquarium, but I suspect it is similar in feel. In fact, I plan to go back to my local hardware store to get more info.

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  16. I happen to have some aquarium tubing. In my sewing room. I guess that means it's meant to be used in a sewing project, especially considering I do not own an aquarium. ;)

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    1. It sounds like fair game to me, Sandra! :) The rayon lycra collar would be very "droopy" without it and, I expect, would fall inside the other collar, never to be seen again.

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  17. Love the way this turned out, Sharon! Great example of how going that extra bit (tubing, hanging pocket) makes a BiG difference in the final look. Very useful for keeping us motivated to stick it out :)

    I like the lighter teal shade with the main fabric, it looks really pretty with your complexion and hair. But i'm wondering did you consider dyeing any of your 'teals' to get a shade you preferred? RIT's Dark Teal would have moved your accent fabric much closer to the teal in the main fabric, it seems to me. I'm truly just flat out curious, as i do a fair amount of dyeing myself (v. hard for me to find flattering colors). Which is to say i ComPletely understand why you would choose not to go thru the time and hassle and mess and likelihood that the dye would fade or bleed later..... :)

    Happy Sunday! steph

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    1. Hey, Steph! No, it did not occur to me to dye it. I do like to dye fabrics, and I have loads of Procion Dyes, but think of it as a risky process when you are trying to match colors. But maybe with a premixe RIT color it would be easy peasy.

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    2. Hullo Sharon - i hope you're enjoying the day, it's plum gorgeous here in the east bay :) Actually i'm with you on thinking that dyeing fabrics is risky. Especially when you're trying to match, or you're over-dyeing.

      Recently i've been trying out RIT's color formulas, which i have done for years. But i've been following the instructions for pre-testing the recipe and fabric and using the results to calculate amounts for the 'real deal'. I haven't done enough projects yet using this method to endorse it completely, but on the couple of projects i've done so far it's worked out very well.

      Here's the link:
      http://www.ritdye.com/dyeing-techniques/using-colorit-color-formula-guide

      Like i said, i love the way your piece turned out, and i'm not into matchy-matchy anyways. I'm making up Marcy Tilton's 8795 in black stretch velvet and ended up dyeing some dark dark green velvet black for the sleeves, so dyeing's been on my mind.

      Thank you for indulging my 'enquiring mind'!!!! :) steph

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  18. I LOVE this. It's so cute, gorgeous, darling....It's so you Shams!And that pocket!!! can I steal that idea, please?

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    1. But of course, Diana! I didn't invent the hanging pocket. :)

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  19. You know I loves me a pocket....any functional pocket, really....but your pockets are going to the next level these days! Love the pocket, the collar, and the fabric - and you brought them all together perfectly :)

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  20. What neat fabric! That's really fun, Shams!

    Always enjoy your well written, informative posts! I'm adding you to my fav blogs links on my new sewing blog: windows2wearables.com (I'm inching my way back to apparel sewing after years of making only valences and pillow covers! No staple guns allowed, apparently!)

    Thanks for all the great tips and ideas!

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  21. Sharon this top is awesome! I'm going to look for this pattern. I never used a Burda pattern and I do have a few. I love the neckline on this. Great job. (PS thanks for putting up with all of my political adds on FB. I just feel this is the most important election of our lifetime.

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  22. You make everything so interesting, from the fabric choice to the pocket and, oh! the plastic tube. Amazing

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  23. I would have gone for the googly eyes!

    It's amazing. Thanks for spurring on the creativity.

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  24. well, what more can be said? great topper and so you. love it!

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  25. Warm and cuddly and oh so cleverly done. Those are the things that come to mind when I see your new top, Shams. You did a mighty fine job on it.

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  26. Fun and funky, and oh dear now you've mentioned googly eyes I am wishing you might reconsider adding that adornment :) I really love the double collar, as usual you have the coolest ideas on making clothes interesting.

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  27. Really interesting fabric! Rit dyes = ick. They fade way too fast. Procion is much better for cellulose fibres, if that's what you've got. My opinion, but with 45 years experience.

    I really like the finished top, Shams. The tubing is genius! (I recently used string trimmer cord for stiffening in a thread catcher but tube is nicer to wear, I'm sure.) I also love the hanging pocket. Success!

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  28. I love the fabric. What a great find. I especially love the colors on you. As always, just perfect:)

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  29. That is wonderful fabric! At first, I thought your pocket was a purse as the ties and the neck looked like "straps" of a small purse. I kept reading and finally figured it all out. LOL Really, really, like it! I'll bet you are really going to enjoy wearing it.

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  30. Nice style top! find a huge assortment of colorful sweatshirts in various styles at wholesale rates!

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  31. Interesting fabric! I like the neckline and the hanging pocket.







    Gildan 12500

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