So get this – I made this awesome sweatshirt in June 2018. The pattern release got delayed, and then somehow there was a mix-up and I never realized that this pattern got released! I was casually scrolling through the Brindille & Twig website recently, when I found that – surprise! – this pattern finally did make it out into the world! So here’s my much-belated post on this pattern, truly written about a year ago!I didn’t change any of my originally written post, so if the timing of things (such as my pregnant belly) doesn’t quite add up with what you know of me today, that is probably why. Without further ado….
I’m excited to share my first make using a Street Style pattern today! I was first introduced to the baby branch of this company, Brindille and Twig, not long after I began sewing. I have sewn up a onesie using their patterns for almost every baby shower I’ve attended in the past couple of years, and I love being able to use their great sewing patterns to make an awesome, heartfelt, handmade gift for the littlest friends in my life! Recently, their adult pattern company, Street Style Patterns, reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in trying out any of their patterns – and of course, I was!
Street Style Patterns has so many great, casual sewing patterns that can be incorporated into your everyday look, including an awesome women’s onesie and super stylish bomber jacket, which are both on my list for post-baby belly! In the meantime, I chose to sew up one of their newest patterns, the Draw Cord Sweatshirt. I had the pleasure of sewing up this pattern before its’ release this autumn, and truth be told I’ve been wearing it all summer! I am notoriously cold, no matter the temperature, but I LOVE summer clothes… So it’s not uncommon for me to insist on shorts and a tank, and then to need to carry a cardigan or sweatshirt with me to make this an outfit I can actually tolerate. This Draw Cord sweatshirt was a great addition to my wardrobe!
For my sweatshirt, I decided to sew it up in this beautiful light blue french terry that was stocked by IndieSew. As you guys know, I’m a huge fan of IndieSew and I’d been keeping my eye on this fabric for quite a while. By the time I finally decided to make this sweatshirt out of it, all that was left was 2 remnants – a 1yd and 1.5yd! I bought both, and was able to make all my pattern pieces work on the remnants with a little bit leftover to play with in the future. I absolutely love the outcome; this fabric is so soft and comfortable, it is the perfect weight, and I think the color works really well for all of the seasons.
If you’ve ever sewn a Brindille & Twig pattern, I found that this pattern read very much the same! The pattern pieces and instructions were all included in one large document, with instructions (including photos!) towards the beginning and layered pattern pages at the end. The last two (oversized) pages also include a copy shop file for the pattern.
I sized up to a medium on this sweatshirt, partially because I wanted a nice cozy sweatshirt, and partially because I wanted to make sure that I could continue to wear this as my baby bump grows! I chose to follow the directions exactly, but I did omit the drawcord at the neckline after trying on my sweatshirt and absolutely loving how the neckline looked without it! The pattern was easy to follow, and I love the outcome. One of my favorite ways to gauge how a new garment that I’ve sewn looks is my husband’s response when I try it on and show him – he thought this was a storebought item, which always makes me happy!
My three favorite features on this sweatshirt are the kangaroo pocket, the neckline (though I realize that mine is not exactly the intended look!), and the drawcord bottom. I’ve not made a kangaroo pocket before, and was worried that it would look a little homesewn or that my topstitching would be messy. I was glad to find out that it was a super easy feature to include, and it came out looking quite nice (in my opinion, at least!!). As I mentioned above, the neckline that I’ve fallen in love with is the provided neckline up until the very last step; I simply did not include the drawcord. I did, however, follow the instructions to include the drawcord at the waistline, and (again) I was impressed by how easy this feature was to incorporate. I did a little Instagram story to get some input on how people prefer to finish their drawcords, as I’ve not done this before. The cording that I purchased is 50% polyester, 50% cotton, so many people mentioned that although they prefer to burn the ends of their drawcords, this may not work so well with this combination of materials. Other suggestions included simply tying them, or finding some aglets or drawstring fasteners to finish the ends. I ended up choosing to tie the ends of mine, but I am still considering looking around for some aglets – I have this idea that some rose gold ones would be perfect!
If you are looking for a great, casual sweatshirt as the weather starts to cool down, I would definitely recommend considering the DrawCord Sweatshirt.
Sweatshirt: handmade by me
Pattern: Street Style Patterns – Drawcord Sweatshirt
Fabric: French Terry Cotton Cyan from IndieSew (now sold out)
Though the pattern used in this post was generously provided to me by the awesome team at Street Style Patterns, all opinions expressed are my own, as always!
- XX Elizabeth
