This past winter I have been on a mission to make more warm and cozy clothes. Of course what could be more warm and cozy as the infamous Toaster Sweater from Sew House Seven. After seeing so many versions on Instagram I knew I had to have one in my wardrobe. Which of course is why I added it to my #2018makenine plans.
The Toaster Sweater
I was lucky enough to get the Toaster Sweater for Christmas and couldn’t wait to make it. The first thing though was to find the right fabric.
After looking through my stash I found some purple fabric that had just enough stretch that I think it would work. The fabric is the same type of fabric that I used to make my blue Coco Top. It’s not exactly the softest thing but the color is lovely.
After tracing out the pattern it took virtually no time to whip this top up. The pattern is so quick to put together that I know I had to have more in my wardrobe.
| Sewing Summary | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Feb 10 |  |
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| Pattern: | Sew House Seven: Toaster Sweater | |||||
| Version: | Version 1 | |||||
| Size: | XL | |||||
| Notes & Modification: | Made as directed | |||||
| Recommendations: | Cut a Large for stretchier fabrics | |||||
| Difficulty: | Easy | Rating: | ||||
I can totally see why the Toaster Sweater is so popular. The construction is so simple but the details make it look like a lot of work.
The instructions in the pattern book, like many indie brands, give you fully step by step illustrations that make assembling super easier.
Buttered Toast
While I loved my purple Toaster I knew needed more Toasters in my wardrobe and this time I wanted one that was made from a softer fabric.
I found in my stash a yellow-orange soft jersey in my stash, that somewhat resembled the color of butter. What would be more perfect than buttered toast(er) 😄
The yellow-orange fabric had a bit more stretch to it, so I really should have cut a slightly smaller size, but I don’t mind it being a bit lose, on me. After all the goal was to make a comfy and warm winter top.
I wasn’t quite sure how much wear I’d get out of a yellow-orange top, but once I paired it with my navy skirt and beret it was meant to be. Not to mention that yellow and blue are the University’s colors so I ended up wearing this top to work a lot with my navy blazer.
Making Use of the Serger
The construction of these tops was sped up by making use of my serger. Both tops used a fairly stable knit fabric which I could simply use my serger to sew together.
I used my vintage Singer ZigZag machine to do the topstitching using a twin needle and voila, these tops were made in about an hour.
Of course, using a serger is not always the best method as I would discover.
#SewStripes Toaster
While I still had a few days left in February I thought I would join the #SewStripes challenge hosted by the Sewcialists. In my stash, I had some lovely striped jersey with thin navy orange and green stripes. I had just under a yard so I wasn’t sure what to make. Then I found that I had some match orange jersey which I had even less of.
After some creative thinking, I figured I could whip up a contrasting toaster sweater as my entry to the #SewStripes challenge.
What should have been a fun and quick make turned out awful. The striped jersey curled like crazy and of course, foolishly I decided to sew this on my serger.
Because I used my serger I didn’t use pins which meant the collar moved all over the place as I sewed and it’s horribly crooked and stretched out.
I was so angry with myself I tossed it in the scraps and didn’t even bother to post it 😔 . It wasn’t until weeks later I decided I might as well finish the topstitching.
Despite being awful in its construction this was an incredibly comfy top. So, in the end, I added it to my lazy day homeware. It’s not perfect by I do like lounging around in the comfy jersey.
Toasty in a Toaster
Overall I must say the Toaster Sweater is a great make, that is if you take your time and do it right. It is also important to know your fabric and the best method to work with said fabric.
I have no doubt that I’ll be making more of these in the future, but for right now I think I’ll just enjoy the three that I’ve made.
With that said this checks one of the patterns off my 2018 Make Nine. How are you coming along with your make nine projects? What are your thoughts on the Toaster Sweater pattern?
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