Today I’m writing about a relatively simple hack that turned a potential sewing disaster into a very snuggly jumper.

First, the fabric…

This make began with some fleece-backed sweatshirting from Bobbins and Bolts. I treated myself to this fabric when Gemma was having a Yorkshire Day sale and bought enough for “a jumper of some sort”.

Initially, I was going to make another Toaster Sweater but fate intervened. Around the time, I was browsing The Fold Line and spotted the Talvikki sweater by Named Patterns. I loved the darts on the neckline, which make a relatively simple jumper into something quite interesting. I clicked “add to cart” and asked Brenda (The Fold Line’s printer) to send me a copy of the pattern!

I’ve said before that I always read pattern reviews to see what common adjustments, hacks, thoughts the sewing community have. A lot of reviews for the Talvikki commented on the small head opening. Unfortunately I can’t remember who, but somebody suggested tacking the shoulders and neck and trying on for size before continuing. The next photo shows how disastrous it could have been if I hadn’t done that!

Voluntarily adding a zip

I think this must be the first time that I’ve voluntarily added a zip to a ‘non-zip project’. When contestants on The Great British Sewing Bee say “right, I’ve got 10 mins left to put this zip in”, my heart starts racing. Putting a zip in is a few hours work for me, often involving hand-basting and a quick-unpick!

When I was a relatively new sewist, I went on a Zip Course which was amazing. I still refer to the notes I made that day every time I put a zip in.

I treated the neckline of my Talvikki like a skirt to put the zip in. Zip first, then facing, just like a pencil skirt, whilst simultaneously holding my breath and hoping for the best.

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Adjustments

This pattern is supposed to be an oversized jumper but I didn’t want it to swamp me so I sized down, based on the finished garment measurements. I made a Small with the following adjustments:

• 3″ off the front bodice
• 7″ off the back bodice to account for the shortening and levelling off to remove the dipped hem
• levelled off vents on both bodices so that the jumper doesn’t have side vents (who needs a draught?!)
• 2″ off the sleeve length
• Added zip to one side of neckline

Verdict

Ooh, it’s a comfy one! Looking at the list above, I actually did quite a few hacks on this but they’re all quite simple because the pattern is boxy so it’s mainly playing with straight lines. I recommend a label so you know which is the front and back.

I wore the jumper around The Lakes on our first holiday of 2020. It proved to be a great layer in the evenings and the fleecy insides were extra soft.

Thanks for reading :o)