I love finding new independent garment designers and was so happy to find Ensemble Patterns just a few months ago! They have a great mission of creating comfy and stylish pieces which are intended to work with one another. With the launch of the company and their first pattern, the Sunday Everyday Sweater, Ensemble had a great giveaway on their Instagram account. You had the chance to win this pattern AND the next THREE releases. And guess who won??? This girl!!!
As much as I love all the pretty dress patterns out there, my busy “mom” lifestyle enjoys comfort and lots of athleisure. So, when I received this pattern for a chic, oversized sweater, I got to work! I wanted to color block this design and when I saw the gorgeous Bamboo brushed fleece from Imagine Gnats, I was done. The grey and royal blue colors were just perfect…not to mention how crazy soft they are.
For the cut, I chose the straight hem and the basic view with the regular length. I was torn between the cropped (because I’m a shortie) and the regular length..knowing it probably would become tunic length on me. But the option of pockets pushed me over to the regular length. And I’m so happy with them. I just love how they are hidden and really amp up the cozy factor.
With the 40% stretch in this fabric, I ended up having to trim the pockets down by about 2 inches. They were hanging too low. So the pockets were either peeking out under the hemmed or they were being pushed up into the body which was creating some unsightly bulge. I used the pattern piece to create a new curve from the pocket’s lowest point and now they are perfect.
In addition to the pockets, I also took two inches off the sleeves. Again, I’m a shortie and the sleeves were just bunching up too much for me. I left enough on to still keep the relaxed look and feel.
One of the other great features of this pattern are the use of notches for the cuffs, hem and neckbands. It makes lining them up much easier for a beginner. Most patterns assume you know how to evenly distribute the band around the neck, but I appreciate how there were additional notches for where they meet up with the shoulder seams.
Overall, I really enjoyed this pattern (not just because I won it!) There is both a PDF and copy shop print options, so I was pleased off the bat. Taping paper together is on the bottom of my enjoyable sewing tasks list…ugh…. I do love the oversized look and feel of this design….and who doesn’t love pocket options?!? Next time I make this pattern, I want to try it with a heavier weight knit and in the cropped length, but I still want to incorporate the pockets. We’ll see if I can squeeze in some smaller ones like I altered here.
Are you into comfy oversized sweaters like this design? I’m a definite YES! I can’t wait to see the next pattern releases.
Happy Sewing!
Cristy
