Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 307 Model#102 - Winter 2017
Loose Fitting Knit Top

To call this top oversized would be an understatement. The silhouette in this drawing looks somewhat shapeless but I forged ahead with this pattern anyway figuring I could always take in some seams to make it fit more to my liking.

Pattern Drafting Hints:    
This pattern has quite a few pieces to draw but none of them are complicated. Often Lutterloh has us draw patterns with the princess seams connected at the cross mark. This pattern has us draw each piece separately so make sure to mark the cross point on each one. See the line drawing for the pattern pieces below.
If you mark a notch at each cross point then you can use these to match up the princess seams when you sew these together. I also made notches at the waist to help align the long princess seams. It never ceases to amaze me how even separately drawn pieces line up so perfectly once the pattern is enlarged.

Fabric Used/Suggested:  
My gray top is made from two different reversible fabrics. The solid, quilted fabric is a cotton poly blend with thin batting between the layers. The print fabric is a rayon poly blend with stripes on one side and dots on the other. These fabrics both have stretch but the thinner, print fabric has a lot more than the heavier quilted fabric. This may have been the reason I had problems with rippling when I sewed these together. I left off the top stitching to avoid any further distortion of the seams. 
Although I'm pleased with my extra warm version of this top I think next time I would try it in all one fabric like velour or a ponte knit. 

Design Changes:  
As I mentioned this pattern is rather oversized. I fit mine as I sewed and found the silhouette to be unflattering when sewn as the pattern was intended. I ended up serging off all the seam allowance that was added and then serged off another 1/4" to 1/2" on each of the seams again. You likely noticed that my version is longer than the model's too. I added my usual half inch to the bodice pieces and then an extra two inches to the bottom. The last change was to exchange the funnel neck opening for a hood. I used a hood pattern from a top with a similarly open neckline and this fit just fine. 

Closing Hints:  
Now that my family has seen me wearing this top I have decided not to make another one.

My son's first comment was "It's so baggy." 

The only slightly more complimentary comment from my husband was "It looks comfortable."

Good thing I only intended this to be a nice, warm top for walking the dog. Oh well, the pocket is handy, the fabric is super soft and the hood is perfect for foggy mornings and breezy afternoons. 

On to the next project then!  

I hope these reviews help you to decide on your next project.

Ann in Calif.  

No comments:

Post a Comment