Isn’t “sweatshirt” a gross word? Really, why would you want to wear something with “sweat” in its name? Nevertheless, I’m gung-ho about the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater #1, which is a lean and ladylike sweatshirt. (Well, it’s as ladylike as a sweatshirt gets, let’s say.)
Keep reading for construction details, all the ways I love this sweatshirt, and tips for sewing your own Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater #1.
Construction details on my Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater #1
I sewed a small. I added two inches to the length, because I’m long waisted and I didn’t want such cropped proportions. My Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater #2 was just a touch shorter than I would have liked, and Toaster #1 is supposed to be even shorter. For my body and taste, the additional length was a wonderful decision.
As for fabric, I made Toaster #1 with heathered hot pink cotton fleece from Mood. If you look closely, you can see purple in the heathering, which adds nice depth to the fabric. The wrong side of the fabric is soft and warm β an absolute dream against the skin.
What I love about the Toaster Sweater #1
The long cuffs
Regular sweatshirts and other casual pullovers have cuffs that are usually half as tall proportionally as these cuffs. These tall drinks of water help the Sew House Seven Toaster #1 feel more stylish than its peer pullovers.
The raglan sleeves
First, I love raglan sleeves because you don’t have to ease them into an armscye. They’re super speedy to sew. Second, I love how raglan sleeves work on my shoulders. I can’t quite explain why I think they’re so flattering for me, but I’m always happy to see my arms in raglan sleeves.
The overall proportions
As as SAH parent, my day-to-day existence is pretty casual. But wearing athleisure and oversized garments doesn’t feel right to me most days. Toaster Sweater #1 is as comfortable as any hoodie or track jacket, but its trim cut helps me feel like I’m trying to dress up for myself.
The short turtleneck
I have been all about turtlenecks this winter. This short turtleneck keeps drafts off your neck without totally concealing it.
The topstitching
I used a twin needle to add hot pink-and-purple topstitching (I told you it was the girly sweatshirt!) around the sleeve and bottom band seams. It’s a sharp detail I’m glad Sew House Seven recommended!
Tips for sewing your own Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater #1
Here’s what I discovered while sewing this pattern:
Forget about topstitching around the cuffs
Because I was so in love with the pink-and-purple topstitching, naturally I wanted to include it in as many spots as possible. The cuff seam was no exception.
Except when I tried to wiggle the cuff over the free arm of my sewing machine. The fabric was pulled so taut there was no way the feed dogs could do their thing. Which meant the twin needle topstitching would look terrible.
And then the cuff was too long to get it under the needle with the flatbed installed. (Yeah, I know that’s a zipper foot in the photos, but you get what I’m saying.)
Maybe if you were sewing a larger size this wouldn’t be an issue, but with a size small cuff, topstitching was definitely out.
Topstitch (almost) all at once
I don’t know about you, but I hate getting my machine set up for using a twin needle. There’s an attachment to install. You have to make sure one of the spools unthreads in the opposite direction. I can’t use the automatic needle threader. It’s fussy.
So when the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater #1 directions called for topstitching after pretty much every seam, I thought to myself, “Could I just do all the topstitching at the end and not have to set up and take down my twin needle multiple times?”
The answer was, yes!
I looked through the instructions and figured out which topstitching could wait a while. In my experience, you can topstitch the turtleneck and bottom band at the same time.
Work on the turtleneck, cuffs, and bottom band at the same time
The turtleneck, cuffs, and bottom band all must be sewn in loops before they can be sewn to the main sweatshirt body. The instructions have you work on these pieces at different times through the construction process.
They all have short seams that need pressing. Stitch those seams (heck, you could even chainstitch them) and then move to the iron. Work smarter, not harder.
As long as we’re talking about the turtleneck, cuffs, and bottom band, I also recommend basting their raw edges before attaching them to the rest of the sweatshirt. You’ll have better control over alignment of all raw edges as you sew them together.
Over to you, sewists: Where do you stand in the epic Toaster #1 vs. Toaster #2 battle? (This is like East Coast rap vs. West Coast rap, Sox vs. Yankees, Christina vs. Britney, etc. for sewists!) What have been your favorite cold-weather toppers to sew this season? How ready are you to switch to some warm-weather projects? (I am SO READY.) Please sound off in comments!
P.S. Here’s my post about making the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater #2.
P.P.S. Here are some other posts about making sweater-ish garments:
Named Saunio Cardigan: Harder than it looks
Seamwork Olso review: At ease in a classic cardigan
Great tips for efficiency! I hadn’t even thought about what a bother twin needles would be…. I bought one, but haven’t used it yet.
If forced to chose, I’d say the Toaster @#1 is more flattering and versatile, though I’m glad people are experimenting with modern, unusual cuts, too.
There’s a lot to be said for dressing up for yourself.
Hear, hear to dressing up for yourself! Not that a sweatshirt is dressy, but this one definitely is ladylike. It doesn’t look like it could be PJs, let’s say.
I love sewing with a twin needle… I just hate getting the bugger set up! The results are quite nice, so it’s worth the trouble.
Thanks for reading! π
Great review. I am making #1 this week. I will also lengthen the sweatshirt 2″ as I like the look more than the cropped version. Thank you for providing your readers with great tips.
Thanks for reading, Bernie! I love that pattern and wear it a lot.