Trudy Turtleneck

As I mentioned in my previous post, I want to work on some classic items to add to my wardrobe. One of the things is a classic turtleneck. I have some other patterns that I’ve made, but I really wanted a very basic/classic design.

I found this pattern for the Trudy from Wardrobe by Me after a quick Google search. Here is a picture of the pattern options:

I love it when a pattern has many options and can be used seasonally. The above turtleneck is made from a polyester knit that is not very stretchy. It has enough stretch to get over my head, but it would have benefited from being made in a larger size. This one has the “high” collar.

The next one is this navy blue top made from poly cotton knit. I also used the next size up in the pattern, basing this on the finished garment size rather than measurements.

This is made with the short collar, which is sort of like a mock turtleneck. This one fits great and is very comfortable.

So as I work my way through this year of sewing classic garments, I will probably make this again in black and maybe red (I love using red as a “neutral” for me). I can already think of other things I can make to wear with them.

What things do you consider to be your classic, must-have items to wear? I’ll be sharing more as I continue sewing and building my wardrobe.

Winter White, Winter Sweater

If you’ve checked out my Fall/Winter sewing list, you noticed that I’m trying to work on some classic wardrobe items. I used McCall’s 6796 pattern for this one. It has some variations that can be used at different times of the year as well as a turtleneck collar option.

This is a pretty simple design, but the collar detail is what really makes this stand out. The large collar with the buttons (they are sewn down, so no buttonholes) elevates the look of this.

The pattern has options for sleeveless, short sleeve, and long sleeve with a collar that can be made as I did or as a turtleneck. The material I used for this is a cable knit I bought at JoAnn’s last year.

I made no alterations to the pattern. Here is a picture of the pattern envelope and the buttons used.

So, this is a great wardrobe builder piece. As you can see in the pictures, I’m wearing it with jeans, but it could also be worn with something like a velvet skirt or pants for a holiday party. I love having pieces that are versatile and can be dressed up or down.

Early Fall Sewing With KS 3691

This is another pattern that I’ve had for quite some time. I wanted to make this for a while, but wanted to have just the right fabric for it. then I remembered that I had this piece of brown camo silky charmeuse. I had bought it to make pillowcases, but never got around to it. I’m so glad I didn’t use it for the pillowcases!

Instead I made this blouse that can be worn under a jacket when the weather gets a bit cooler.

As you can see in the pattern picture, the two views show a shorter without the collar and a tunic length with a collar. I made a shorter version of the top with the collar. Mine fits more like a cowl neck and isn’t as tight (fitted) at the neck as the one in the picture. I think the looser look can be more comfortable for people who don’t like anything tight around their necks.

For me, I found the fit to be really great. Other than changing the length, there were no other alterations I made. This was a very quick project to put together. In order to keep the fabric from slipping and becoming misaligned, I used my walking foot during the construction process.

Both front and back are cut on the fold so there’s no need to worry about matching any center seams.

I was so comfortable in this last picture, I forgot to put my shoes on – LOL!

Until next time… I’ll keep sewing and I hope you do too.

*Here’s an affiliate link for the fabric that I used which was easy to work with and really feels and looks great! https://www.fabric.com/buy/0448821/charmeuse-satin-camo-brown