Sewn: Style Arc Violet

 Hello out there! Well, since my last post we have left summer behind, skipped over fall, and are truly in winter. And winter means sweaters. Without further ado, I give you the Style Arc Violet.

This was a case of the fabric definitely dictating the pattern. I was travelling in Spain this fall, and we serendipitously came across a great flea market in Barcelona. For someone from North America, these European markets are a thing to behold! There were old things, new things, high-end faucets and junk from people's old sheds (so it seemed). And there was fabric! At least a dozen different stalls, plus some that specialized in haberdashery. The prices were excellent, and the selection was pretty great. Lots of novelty print and not a lot of finer fabrics, but some really fun stuff. This paisley print is almost a sweatshirt type knit, but with a twill weave appearance. At 3 Euro a metre, I was in!

So, the pattern is described as a "master piece of pattern engineering", and it is most definitely something that I could not have drafted myself. The front pieces form what is a sort of shawl collar around the back of the neck, and the back is two pieces that curve around to the front. There is a seam in the centre back of the lower back panel, but I cut that piece on the fold to preserve the continuity in the print. The hem is finished with a deep band that disguises tiny tiny pockets. I made mine as deep as the band, and they are just big enough for my phone. I was inspired by Carrie, who made a grey Violet, and has lots of nice clear pictures on her blog for you to check out.

Here's a slightly out of focus shot of the way the armholes are finished, with a neat band ending in a lovely angle. I used my serger for the bulk of this project, but I did baste those bands on with my regular machine first to get that angle sitting precisely.

And bonus, there was enough fabric left for a scarf! It's just a tube that I managed to sew together incorrectly three times before getting it right, but I'm happy with how it turned out, and it means I can admire this fabric with loads of other outfits, too.

Happy New Year!!