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Made By A Fabricista: 2 Casual Tops Made with Malden Mills Technical Knits

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The Jarrah Sweater (Megan Nielsen patterns) made with polartech knit fabric from Malden Mills

Hi everybody, as a confirmed fabricaholic I'm always curious and interested in new fabric - I want to see it, touch it, own it and wear it! Recently I was intrigued by a new lot of Malden Mills sportswear fabric and decided to order some. I didn't exactly know what to expect in terms of weight, feel and drape as I don't sew as much with technical fabrics than with other types of apparel fabric. I wasn't disappointed when I received my package - those Malden Mills fabrics are great!

Sometimes the pattern idea comes first and you find the right fabric for it, but in this project I let the fabric dictates the pattern choice. I've been wanting to make the Jarrah Sweater by Megan Nielsen since it came out last spring and this teal/turquoise Polartec double faced sweater tech knit was so perfect for it, plus it's a welcomed pop of colour in my wintery wardrobe! This specific fabric is sold out, but check out the Activewear category to see other options! (P.S. Activewear is 70% off today! 2/13/19)


Top #1: Jarrah Sweater by Megan Nielsen




The Jarrah Sweater is a great pattern with no less than 4 different options (I want to make them all)! This is view B - a slightly oversized sweater with a round neckline, hi-lo curved hem and split sleeves. I chose size 4 according to my measurements and the fit was spot on. My only modification was to shorten the sleeves by 3'', they were so long that they were going down to my fingertips - not very practical!




The fabric:

This beautiful technical sweater knit is very interesting; it has two different faces, one is smooth, the other more plush and slightly lighter in colour - this is the one I chose as the 'right' side (although there is no right or wrong side per se). It is a bit thicker than most of the lightweight jerseys presented on the Malden Mills page, but it is not heavy at all and it has a dry hand just perfect for a sweater or a zippered hoodie.

Here is a close up that shows the texture of the fabric:


Showing the texture of this polartec knit




This polartec fabric sewed very well and was super fun to work with. It presses well and I was even able to coverstitch the small 1 cm seam allowances on the split sleeves openings without any problems.


View of the split sleeve (view B)


The back of the Jarrah Sweater

The Jarrah sweater has a great hi lo curved hem that adds a lot of style and interest! When I make garments with pronounced curved hems like this one, I usually hem the front and back separately, then join them at the side seams - it creates a beautiful clean, even hem and there's no need to pull or stretch the fabric.


Side view showing the hi lo curved hem of the Jarrah Sweater





I don't know what else to add than I really love this sweater in this particular fabric and I might even buy some more for another project (if there is still some left!). I hope FM can get this fabric in other colourways too, and I highly recommend it for any sweater/hoodie/vest project.

Can't you tell I'm happy with my new top? Here is one more picture before I get to Top #2! :-)


The Jarrah Sweater is so comfy, and that colour makes me happy!


Top #2: Jalie 3245 raglan top

As I was searching for a raglan top pattern for my second project, I stumbled on a pattern I had never made before: Jalie 3245. It was still sealed in its plastic envelope and I told myself that it was really time I make this pattern! It is still as good and current as it was when it came out a couple of years ago and thanks to FM for pushing me to sew patterns I've never made before!

I made my usual size R with Jalie, the only modification I made was to raise the front neckline by 1'' for more winter coverage.









 The fabric:


The fabric I chose for my second top is equally fun to work with. I had originally planned an all red raglan top, but when I received the fabric I thought that the striped side was super cute and I decided to use that side for the bodice and use the red for contrasting sleeves.

This one is a lightweight technical jersey that also sews and presses really well. It comes in many colourways, and if you are interested in the red there is still plenty of it here. (And it is today's Sue's Pick! 2/13/19). I recommend this fabric for any t-shirt, top, and why not also for a maxi skirt or a wrap dress?


Quite pleased with how the stripes match on the sides!

Thank you Fabric Mart for giving me the opportunity to try new fabrics! I'm keeping an eye on the Malden Mills page on the website as I will surely need more of those technical knits for future projects. Don't hesitate to try them, they are easy to work with and easy to incorporate in a casual everyday wardrobe!

See you for next post in March, and in the meantime I wish you some quality time with your sewing machine!

Virginie
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