New word: sweatershirt. Not a sweatshirt, per se, but a top that looks like a tarted up sweatshirt made with sweater knits.

I’m rather pleased with this one because:

1. I got the pattern, Simplicity 0315, from a pattern swap (=free!)
2. I used up a small amount of awkwardly-shaped leftover black sweater knit (only a few tiny scraps leftover!)
3. I used a ready-to-wear sweater for the front panel (I liked the graphic print but not the shape of the existing sweater, and I’m feeling clever for having recycled into something more wearable!)
4. I’ve been dying to add some sporty pre-made cuffing to a baggy top (so I did!)

I had to do some Franken-piecing of black fabric to be able to get all of the pattern pieces out of what I had leftover. If you squint at the picture above, you might see the horizontal seam in the black side panel on the left. I also have a horizontal seam on one of the sleeves. I’ve been doing this a lot lately in an effort to make use of some leftover fabrics.

So the cuffing is white and the front panel is ivory — a fact I discovered only after I had seen the finished top in natural light for the first time. That’ll teach me to choose coordinating fabrics and trims at night in artificial light. I fretted over this at first and then just embraced it. Life’s too short to worry about shades of white! (Says the woman who once spent several days choosing the “right” shade of white paint for the bathroom wall.)

On the bottom I’m wearing Friday Pattern Company’s Joan Trousers, a cropped, wide-legged pull-on pant made from fairly heavy-weight ponte knit (320 gsm is the exact weight, in case you’re nerdy like that).

These pants are SOOOOO comfortable. I like that despite the fact they are pull-on pants, the waistband and non-functional button make them look more polished than the standard gathered-elastic-waist. Instead of saying “I’ve given up entirely,” they simply say “I haven’t QUITE given up; I just like elasticized waistbands, OK?”

Notes if you’re considering making the Joan Trousers:

• Friday Pattern Company donates 5% of its profits to charity, which is nice
• they are designed with quite a bit of negative ease. I ended up cutting a size small in for the pants and using a size Medium waistband. Because my ponte is pretty heavy, and therefore gives some compression (i.e. hugs me in a bit), the fit worked out great. However, I have partially constructed a second pair in a lighter-weight ponte, and they simply look Too Small, even though I cut the exact same size. If in any doubt, go up a size.
• Having said that, fitting is *very* forgiving for a pant pattern. This would be a great pattern for someone who has never made pants before (but who is comfortable sewing with knits).

I’m not completely convinced the cropped wide-legged silhouette is for me. What do you think? I’d sure appreciate hearing your feedback.

Thanks for stopping by!

— Lori