Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Easy Holiday Tops from Wool Knits


Happy December everyone!  It's the time of year for celebrations.  It's sometimes tough to dress for parties because the temperature can vary so much.  Will it be below zero or 60 degrees outside?  I've found a solution- wool knits!  They are remarkably good at keeping you warm when it's chilly, but somehow are not so warm that you break out in a sweat if you find yourself at a rather warm cocktail party.  I have found that that these are not at all itchy for me to wear- just super soft and smooth.




I made two tops from wool knits- a red double knit, and a blue single knit jersey, using the pattern Simplicity 1323.  You might have this pattern in your stash if you bought some of the pre-cut kits last year, as that's where I got my pattern.  It was paired with several different fabric choices, so I ended up with two copies!  And I'm glad I did because I really love this pattern.  It's so easy, but is very striking with the hem shape.  It's out of print, but there are plenty of copies on Amazon still available. 


I made view B with the V-neck and 3/4 length sleeves, but I added 1-1/2" to the body length of mine.  On my blue version, I added several inches to the sleeve length to make it a full long sleeve.   I also chose not to hem either of them, as I knew that hemming on the bias would be tricky, and since knits don't fray, it won't matter anyway!  The red double knit has more weight to it and hangs better, in my opinion.


Here it is without any scarf.  You can see that the neckline is kind of wide.  So, I like to wear mine with scarves.  I didn't have quite a wide enough piece of the red knit left to make the scarf as designed in the pattern, so what I did was make a thinner scarf, but longer.  I also bought a piece of mesh knit and made a coordinating scarf out of it. This gives me tons of options.


I can wear them all together like this above, or just double up the solid one and wear it on the shoulders like below.  The red wool knit that I used has sold out, but there is another one available here.  Another nice thing about this style- no fitted waist, so you can enjoy all the cookies and worry about your waist in January!!


Or, I can wear just the mesh knit infinity scarf with it.  The mesh knit is still available here.  It's a very pretty print in person with just a touch of metallic silver which gives it a pretty sparkle.  5/8 yard will make an infinity scarf. 


For the blue top, I didn't have enough fabric to make a matching scarf, but I have plenty of other scarves and necklaces to style it with.  Here it is with some pearls.  The blue knit is sold out, but here is a grey wool knit that would be similar.  One thing about wool- you will need to be careful about how you care for it.  I plan on only spot cleaning mine with a detergent made for wool.  If I need to wash it, I will hand wash it, as the agitation from a washing machine can cause shrinkage.  Some people might prefer to wash the yardage before sewing to shrink it before cutting out the garment, and I have done that in the past, but I really liked the texture of the wool the way it came, so I decided not to risk changing it.


If you are worried about smell from not washing the whole garment frequently, according to the National Wool Textile organization:  Wool textiles are naturally odour resistant due to wool's natural fibre properties, which wicks moisture away to that it can never build up the bacteria that cause odour. It's been said that man-made textiles have spent years of research trying to recreate this process, which wool has done totally naturally all along.

If you are interested in learning more about wool, their website has some fascinating information.  Did you know that sleeping in wool pajamas makes you sleep better and longer?  I had no idea, but you can bet I am going to be making some wool knit pajamas soon!!


If it is super chilly, I can wear the tops with a blanket scarf.   If you are a person who just can't wear wool, I would recommend ponte or double knits for this top pattern as well.  My favorite silk scarf looks wonderful with the blue one too, and was made from a piece of silk chiffon from FabricMart bought years ago.  I used a 1-5/8 length of chiffon fabric, cut it in half lengthwise, and used my serger to narrow hem the raw edges.  You can get two scarves out of 1-5/8 yards, so you can give one away as a great gift! Silk chiffon is more breathable than polyester chiffon, and is very luxurious to wear.



So, I am all set for both Christmas and Hanukkah parties with my new red and blue wool knit tops.

Do you like to wear wool knits?  What has your experience been with them?

I hope that you have a great holiday season and enjoy sewing something special for yourself or your loved ones! 

Happy Sewing!
Ann

Comments

  1. Your tops look great on you. Thanks for spending time discussing the benefits of wool knit. I have two wool knits purchased recently from Fabric Mart - one is a coral jersey knit, and the other an oatmeal fleece. I was not planning on presenting the coral knit, because I too love the factory finish (such a lovely sheen) but since I will be occasionally washing mine in the delicate cycle in cold water and laying out to dry, I think now I will prewash it.

    Just a note of caution though - moth larva will be after wool garments stored without cleaning and/or protection, and will cause small holes. I will check out that website you mention for hints on how to minimize their activites! Hubby just returned a RTW brand new sweater he had in a drawer for a month because of fresh holes. Fortunately, they took it back.

    Lucky me, most wool does not give me a rash.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very good reminder! I don't like to think about moths, so completely forgot to mention them. I did find several interesting articles about wool care here: https://www.woolmark.com/education/care/. The only article that deals with moths suggests storing things in vacuum bags, or using cedar. I need to sand my cedar blocks again to release more of the fragrance, as it does lose some of the smell after a while.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am always excited to see your FM posts. This one does not disappoint, filled with great pics and useful info. I have a piece of wool knit from FM, bought sometime last year, this might be the push I need. Good wishes to you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Pat! Good wishes to you as well! Definitely hope that you get to your piece of wool knit!

      Delete
  4. I'm with you! Once I discovered wool jersey I felt like I'd completely missed out all those years! :) It's so phenomenal to wear!!

    These are really great Ann!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Nakisha! It's amazing to me that there aren't more RTW wool knit items available, as they are so good at moderating body temperature.

      Delete
  5. Ann, your tops are gorgeous! After I saw your post, I realized I have some wool jersey in my stash from FM so I am dying to create something with it! I can't wait to see what you create next!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sue! Can't wait to see what you create from yours!

      Delete
  6. This dramatic hem sits so pretty with the wool. That's so clever with the scarf--I totally thought that was the neckline! I have a piece of merino wool that's just waiting for a snowy day to get sewn up!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting into the Spirit of Summer

I'm not gonna lie y'all, I had a completely different project I wanted to do, but that's gonna take more time, and I wanted something cute, comfy and fun to wear for my birthday on the 19th. When I saw this goldenrod & off white linen jacquard , I thought it looked a bit like the design on a Koroks body, especially Makar from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker! I started with the bodice from the free Elderberry dress pattern from Mood, but deviated for the skirt, it felt a little plain of a design, and I had scraps of a Korok fabric that I knew would be a nice accent with some cut out pockets. I've made these pockets once before, deciding the cut out was based on aligning with the seam on the bodice for how far in, and as for how low depended on where I wanted the pouch of the pocket to start. From there I cut the visible part of the pocket, making sure to match the curve of the waist and following the line of the side seams of the skirt, as well as cutting a facing to...