Pattern review – Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater

Hi! I reviewed the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater on Pattern Review.  (I’m @csews on PR.) I also blogged about making a reversible Toaster Sweater on my blog and as a guest blogger for Britex Fabrics here.

Here’s my pattern review of the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater…

Pattern Description: High-necked sweater with two versions. I made version 1, which is described as “a closer fitting, semi-cropped sweatshirt/sweater. It works best when sewn in thick, stiff knits with some body to keep the neck standing upright. It features raglan sleeves, a wide waistband, a loose turtleneck, long cuffs and falls between the high and low hip. It’s great in a standard sweatshirt fleece (with stretch) however, it’s also extremely handsome in a sweater knit to dress it up a bit.”

Pattern Sizing: XS – XXL

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It was easy to sew and the raglan sleeves fit my broad shoulders.The pattern was relatively easy to make into a reversible version, with a few adjustments.

Fabric Used: Reversible ponte knit – red on one side, black on the other. It was medium-weight stable knit with a very nice drape. You can get the fabric at Britex Fabrics here.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I cut size L but added 1/2 inch width to the bottom band and to hip area of front body piece. I made this into a reversible version, which meant making changes to the neck-band and bottom band, which are cut on the fold. Instead of cutting them on the fold, I folded the pattern pieces in half and cut two of each. I wanted those pattern pieces to be less wide than the original so I didn’t add a 5/8″ seam allowance. Also with this fabric, the neck-band would have flopped down if it was the original height. If you are using a knit with drape, you might want to add some interfacing to the neck-band if you don’t want it to flop down.

For the cuffs, also cut on the fold, I folded the pattern piece in half and added a 5/8″ seam allowance to side with the fold and cut two pieces for each cuff (4 pieces).

When I sewed it together, I hid the seam allowances by either folding one side over and topstitching or hand stitching. For more details on making a reversible version, see my blog post here.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I would sew it again and yes, I would recommend it. Next I want to make Version 2.

Conclusion: I made a test version in fleece and cut a size XL around the shoulders and hips but it had too much ease in the seams near my bust and it was too roomy in the waist. I also made that test version 2 inches longer, thinking that might look better with a lower hem. But it didn’t look good. It was too roomy in the bust and the added length wasn’t flattering. The pattern was designed to hit you on the high hip, which is more flattering than the length I attempted. I recommend cutting Version 1 at the length it was designed. Version 2 is the one that will look good at a longer length.

For this red/black version I just cut size L and added a little more ease in the hip area and it fit perfectly. My hips are about 43 inches.

If you sew a reversible version, buy extra fabric – at least a 1/2 yard so you’ll have enough for the extra pieces you’ll need to cut. It takes a bit longer to make a reversible version because you’re adding extra steps. I used my sewing machine to make mine. I didn’t use a serger because I needed to hide my seam allowances. See my blog post for more photos and construction details.

If you’re making a regular version, you can easily sew it up in an afternoon, especially if you use a serger.