Sewing time has continued to be pretty limited this month, but I managed to fit in a couple of hours to whip up one of my #makenine2023 projects – the Paper Theory LB Pullover! I have worn it absolutely loads since I finished it and now I understand why it is such a popular pattern with fellow sewists.
Let’s talk pattern details; the pullover can be made in knits or wovens and comes with options for both a crew neck and a nice chunky turtleneck, which is the version I made. The sleeves are full length and the fit is relaxed and boxy with a dropped shoulder. The pattern size range goes from a UK 6 to a UK 28 and it is available as both a PDF and paper version – I got a paper copy because I’m old skool and I like them!
I’ve made a few Paper Theory patterns (the Olya Shirt Dress, the Zadie Jumpsuit and the Block Tee) and although my measurements best fit the size 10 on their chart, I have always sized down to an 8. With the LB Pullover I decided not to as I really wanted it to be relaxed and cosy to wear. I think this was a great decision and I am really happy with the fit of the size 10 – I have enough ease to wear a long-sleeved thermal underneath, but it’s not so oversized that I feel swamped.
I think my favourite thing about my sweater is the fabric. I bought it especially for this project and it’s an absolutely winning combination! It’s a 100% organic cotton sweatshirting from Bawn Textiles and the quality is beautiful – it’s a nice, weighty 330gsm and it was definitely worth the £24 per metre price tag. I chose the ‘oat’ colourway, but the fabric also comes in a grey, a charcoal and a very cool nautical stripe!
I constructed my sweater on my overlocker and it was a super quick sew, helped by the clear and concise instructions. I had bought a reel of the new Gutermann Maraflex thread to try out and luckily, the colour was a perfect match for this fabric, so I decided to use it for the hems. I turned a double hem (even though there is no need with sweatshirting because it doesn’t fray) for a nice chunky finish and I used a 3mm stitch length, which looks really neat and has held brilliantly! The thread was £3.40, but there is 150m on the spool so it works out as the same price as Gutermann cotton on a 100m reel – definitely worth it if, like me, you prefer the look of a straight-stitch on a hem rather than a zig-zag!
I’m so pleased I managed to do a tiny bit of sewing this month and sometimes it’s nice to make a quick garment when you’re short on time so you can actually finish something! My current project is another Orchards Dress and I’m just fitting in a few minutes sewing here and there when I can – it’s looking very pretty already and I’m hoping to finish it in time to wear to the Stitch Festival next month – wish me luck!