The sweater season is upon us over here in the northern hemisphere and I am proud to bring to you the Arlington sweater by Love Notions. This is the newest pattern by Love Notions and there is no doubt that a lot of planning has been put into it. This pattern is a great transitional piece for your cold-weather wardrobe. It is a very versatile pattern offering so many options to make which is always a bonus with most of the Love Notions patterns,
Love Notions Arlington Sweater with a cowl neck, bishop sleeves, and a banded hem
This pattern is on a release sale at 30% off from today (28th September until 4th October 2021).
I am both a pattern tester and an ambassador with Love Notions patterns. This means that any purchases you make using the Love Notions patterns links I share on here earn me a small commission which goes to support this website. However, this comes at no extra cost to you and you are under no obligation to use them.
Arlington sweater with a mock neck and straight sleeves
Love Notions Arlington Sweater with a cowl neck, bishop sleeves, and a banded hem
Love Notions Arlington Sweater with a cowl neck, bishop sleeves, and a banded hem Arlington sweater with a mock neck and straight sleeves
Love Notions Arlington Sweater Pattern Features:
It comes in 3 lengths: banded shirt, hip length shirt and above knee dress.
It features 3 necklines: turtleneck, mock-neck and cowl
There are 5 sleeve options: short & long puff sleeves, long sleeve, bishop and elbow length sleeves.
Pattern Sizing:
The Arlington pattern comes in 9 sizes ranging from size XS to 5X. All these sizes come with full bust pieces. I made both my versions in size XS which is true to size.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, the instructions were easy to follow. I must add that this pattern is very easy to sew and I would recommend it for a confident beginner.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The one thing I really love about this pattern is its versatility. This pattern has many options to choose from.
Fabric Used:
This pattern is meant for light to medium-weight knit fabrics with at least 25% stretch. The recommended fabrics include Sweater knit, French terry, Interlock, and other jersey blends. A more stable knit is recommended for the mock neck view whereas a drapey one would be perfect for the cowl neck one.
For version one, I used a medium-weight Sweater knit for my cowl neck version and I also opted for the bishop sleeves. These two features came out better in this sweater knit because it has some drape.
I used a medium-weight rib-knit fabric for the mock neck for my second version. This fabric is stable enough to hold up the shape of the mock neck. I bought this fabric from Minerva purposely for this top.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I shortened the shirt length version by 1 inch which is a common alteration I make. I have a shorter torso compared to the rest of my body and I often do it to most of the Love Notions patterns I have sewed up with.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Of course, I need to make the dress version soon now that sweater weather is finally here. Who am I kidding? I live in the Uk where it is sweater season all year round. 🙂
I would recommend this pattern to anyone who needs a sweater or Jumper (as it is called in the UK). And a confident beginner would not struggle with putting this together.
Conclusion:
I love the Arlington sweater because it is a cold-weather staple. I do not really need to say more about it because it offers a view for everyone out there. You will be seeing more of these sweaters really soon. Thank you for stopping by.
I have in the past not sewed up a single pattern more than twice because there are so many patterns to try. This changed when I first sewed up the Love Notions Prisma dress which has become my tried and tested little girls dress pattern. It offers many mix and match options while being a great scrap busting project too. It can be made up as either a casual or dressed up dress depending on the fabrics used.
I am both a pattern tester and an ambassador with Love Notions patterns. This means that any purchases you make using the Love Notions patterns links I share on here earn me a small commission which goes to support this website. However, this comes at no extra cost to you and you are under no obligation to use them.
Three neckline options: scoop, Peter Pan collar and button boatneck
Three sleeve lengths: short, elbow and long
A-line, drop-waisted flare of pleated skirt
Two-pocket styles
Recommended for a confident beginner
The Fabric
This pattern is recommended for Knit fabrics such as cotton jersey, rayon jersey, Ponte, ITY, Liverpool and Scuba. However, if you are sewing the pleated skirt, a more stable knit is recommended.
The Making
I sewed up four dresses for my daughter using the Prisma Sewing Pattern and I have played around with various fabrics and features.
I sewed up size 6 for version 1 with the bodice lengthened to size 7. And I went for size 7 for the rest which I lengthened by two inches. I added an inch to both the bodice and skirt pieces.
Version 1
I went with a scoop neck and short sleeves for this version. I used cotton jersey fabric pieces which were leftover from previous projects. I did not have enough fabric for the flared skirt and I instead gathered the skirt. I used an elastic (braided) to gather the fabric which gave it more even gathers.
Version 2
This version was her Christmas day dress and I wanted to make it more festive. I went with a scoop neck, elbow-length and flared skirt options. I used stretch velvet fabric for the bodice and gold sequined fabric for the skirt. The Gold sequined fabric is a woven fabric which I lined with gold satin fabric.
I was confident to use a woven fabric for the skirt because it has a dropped waist which does not need to fit over the body. This pattern allows for woven fabrics that match the stretch bodice fabric.
Version 3
This is a flared skirt version with elbow length and a boat neck. The boatneck option comes with buttons for easy access. I opted for plastic snaps for my version which are way easier than sewing buttonholes on jersey fabric. I also used a cotton jersey fabric in a ballerina print from Minerva.
Version 4
This was made out of an animal-print cotton jersey fabric I bought from Fabrics for all. I went with a flared skirt, elbow-length and a scoop neck. This version was the fastest to make because it was basic with no complicated options.
Conclusion
I love all the versions of the Prisma dress I have made and I know there are more to come. This pattern offers very many options to work with ranging from the pattern features to prints and types of fabric you choose. I hope you will give the Prisma pattern a go.
La Bella Donna, the beautiful lady, is a ladies’ top and tunic sewing pattern. It is your easiest and quickest pick-me-up pattern when you feel like your sewjo is gone. It is also one you would run to any time of the year given the many variations it offers. I made the La Bella Donna during a pattern testing process. It also comes in the girls’ version, Girls La Bella Top & Tunic, making it perfect for mum-and-me matching outfits.
I have been a pattern tester with Love Notions for over two years and recently became an ambassador. This means that any purchases you make using the Love Notions patterns links I share here earns me a small commission which supports this website. This comes at no extra cost to you.
The La Bella Donna sewing pattern is a versatile pattern that can be worn in both cold and warm months. The cowl and hoodie versions can be worn as layering pieces or on their own during the colder months whereas the short-sleeved top version is perfect for summer.
This pattern is recommended for medium weight knit fabrics with a 4 way stretch. This includes cotton jersey, rayon/ viscose jersey and sweater knits (perfect for colder months).
I made the tunic version using a floral cotton jersey fabric which was rather drapey and behaves like viscose jersey. I bought it from Girl Charlee UK before they closed down in the UK.
La Bella Donna pattern is such a quick make which can be completed in a sitting. It is a beginner-friendly pattern for anyone who wants to have a go at sewing with knit fabrics.
The short-sleeved version I made features dolman sleeves which eliminates setting in sleeves. The short-sleeves are finished with sleeve bands which is easier than hemming the sleeves in my opinion.
I also made the boatneck version for the pattern testing in size XS. I had the option of finishing the neckline by either folding it over Itself or using a binding. I went with the hidden binding option which came together pretty easily.
I made no alterations to this pattern which is anyone’s dream. Although my tunic version does not seem long enough, the final pattern was lengthened.
The Finished Garment
what’s not to love about La Bella Donna? It is an easy pattern that is sure to become a wardrobe staple. I plan to make the short- sleeve shirt version this summer and cowl tunic one in sweater knit fabric for winter. Of course, I will also be making the girls’ version for my missy in matching fabric.
When the Deer and Doe Sirocco jumpsuit came out early in the year, it was embraced by a number of people in the sewing community. I was not about to miss out on the opportunity considering how much I love jumpsuits. I decided to sew up this amazing jumpsuit out of a knit fabric which I was gifted to by Fabrics for all. Fabrics for all is on a family-owned fabric store located in Leeds with an online presence too. And as a member of their makers’ team, I receive fabric every month in exchange for a blog post.
The Fabric
Jersey fabric with 60 per cent stretch is recommended for this pattern. I chose this gorgeous colourful viscose fabric for the jumpsuit. I was under the assumption that viscose jersey is a lightweight fabric. However, this particular one is medium weight and quite flowy too.
This Fabric sewed up well without any issues on both my sewing machine and overlocker. And It was such a pleasure working with it because it washed and ironed pretty well too.
The sirocco pattern is a mock-wrap jumpsuit which comes in two versions: version A a jumpsuit which features tapered legs and version B which is a romper. It comes in a number of sizes ranging from 34 to 46. And I cut out size 36 for the bodice which I blended into size 38 to both the band and trouser pieces. In hindsight, I should have cut out size 36 throughout the pieces.
The making
I sewed up the Sirocco jumpsuit using mostly my overlocker and only used my sewing machine to reinforce a few seams. I also used my coverstitch machine for the hems which sewed up really well too.
After I had put the jumpsuit together I realised that that the fit was quite big on me. And I spent a considerable amount of time adjusting almost every piece before achieving the best fit.
Alterations
Made a swayback adjustment to the back bodice piece.
Shortened the trouser legs by 3 inches considering the hem is meant to be folded over. I preferred to have mine coming up to the ankle which I found to be smarter.
Took out a considerable amount of excess fabric from almost every side seam and some from the inner leg seam too.
If for any reason you prefer watching the review instead, here is the youtube video where I review this jumpsuit.
The finished project
Despite the numerous alterations I made, it came out exactly as it appears on the pattern in the end. I love the final fit I achieved and I can say that this jumpsuit is a secret pyjama. It is not tight in any areas while keeping a good fit and look.
I will definitely be making another Sirocco jumpsuit since I have transferred all the alterations to the pattern pieces. And my recommendation to anyone planning to sew up this jumpsuit is to consider sizing down if using fabric that has more than 60% stretch.
I popped into Fabrics for All once again with the need to find fabric for my monthly make. Fabrics for all is a family-owned fabric shop located in Armley, Leeds which also has an online presence too. I joined the Fabric for All maker’s team where I am given fabric in exchange for a blog post to review that fabric.
If you know a thing about me, you would know that I love jumpsuits. So I popped into Fabric for All to pick up fabric to sew up the New Look 6446 Jumpsuit which was also meant to be my entry into the ‘sew together for summer 2019’ challenge. And the challenge this year was to sew up a jumpsuit, however, this particular the jumpsuit was not ready by deadline day. So I decided to enter the toile instead which made me a winner of one of the prizes.
The Fabric
For the pattern I had in mind, I needed a stable woven fabric which was still light enough for a summer outfit. I picked up a 100% cotton fabric which is a beautiful print with green and white birds on a black background. I know a black background may not sound like a summer fabric choice but that’s before you see the fabric in person. It was such a pleasure to work with this fabric which washed pretty well and ironed well too.
New Look 6446 Pattern
The pattern I choose was the New look 6446 which I picked up last year but I was not sure I would sew it up any time soon. As we can all agree that ‘the big four’ patterns are not the easiest to sew up and you come out with a well-fitting garment.
This pattern comes in four variations: a maxi dress, a knee-length dress, a playsuit and a jumpsuit. All four variations have the same bodice which features princess seams, a squared neckline, thick straps and an invisible zipper. It also comes with a belt strap which helps to define the waist.
The making
This pattern comes in sizes 8 to 18 and per my measurements, I was supposed to cut out size 8 at the bust and size 10 for both the waist and hip. As we know the big four patterns come with a lot of ease added, so I decided to use the finished garment measurements instead and cut it out in a size 8.
I first sewed up a toile in a rather cheaper fabric before cutting into the beautiful fabric. And I found that the bodice was a bit roomy so I decided to take out some amount at the side seams. However, the trouser piece fitted pretty well at both the waist and the hip area.
The sewing process was pretty much straight-forward and I did not need to make any major alterations to this pattern. Of course, the invisible zipper is never for the faint-hearted but I am getting better at it.
The finished project
I love the finished jumpsuit which is exactly as it appears on the pattern. I am certain I will be sewing up a few more jumpsuits or playsuits from this pattern as I have defined the fit and I have less to worry about.
Thank you for stopping by and thank you Fabrics for all for the fabric gift.
Josephine is an entrepreneur, blogger, public health professional who loves sewing, baking and is passionate about a healthy and natural lifestyle.
