This sweatshirt was really the inspiration for all of the sewing for my trip to Spain in early 2020! As you may recall from some of my previous blog posts about my Spain travel wardrobe, cute and comfortable sweatshirts were really the main agenda when I decided to sew up an entire suitcase worth of clothes in one week. I wanted my clothes to be able to withstand long hours dragging suitcases up and down cobblestone streets while pushing my girl in a stroller, but also to make me look intentional and put together, not like someone who just rolled out of bed and into a Cathedral for a tour.
When I started planning what I wanted to make, I knew I finally had to get my hands on the I Am Zebre pattern. It had been on my mind for quite a while previously, but this was really the perfect opportunity to buy it and sew it up right away! The Bishop Sleeves on this pattern elevate it to just that perfect level of extra – they aren’t so much that they decreased the functionality or practicality of this piece, but they were absolutely enough to make me feel a little more cute and put together!
I found that the pattern ran slightly large (not quite as big as the Zebre’s twin pattern sister, the Lion Sweatshirt!) but enough that I made a few modifications to this piece and will make a few more in the future. For this, I sewed up a size 40. The only modification I made was to take 2 inches total out of the waistband piece based on the finished look of the I Am Lion Sweatshirt I’d just sewn up. In the future, I will probably size down one to two full sizes to get a slightly better fit all around. However, this version here, in the exact size it is, is not problematic in any way. It works, and it is very comfortable!
You can find some more details on this sweatshirt over at the Minerva Blog! It turned out great, and I will probably sew up another one when the weather cools again. I can absolutely see this becoming a tried and true pattern for me!
Sweatshirt: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva – Brushed Terry Sweatshirting – Petrol
Pattern: I Am Patterns – Zebre Sweatshirt
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Though the fabric used in this post was generously provided to me by the awesome team at Minerva, all words and opinions expressed are my own, as always! Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
