Hi, it’s Cristy from from Love You Sew again, bringing you a fun twist to the beloved Sora Sweater (aff link). This month’s theme is “Menswear” and I decided to add more masculine details to this great top which is just perfect for fall weather (if it finally sticks around!) I love the Sora Sweater pattern and you can read up about the first one I made here which gets a lot of mileage this time of year. It’s a great pattern for knits and I am so impressed with the side gussets which add such beautiful feminine shaping. This is a feature you don’t find in many knit patterns.
I can’t even tell you how excited I was for this “Menswear” month. I enjoy blending masculine and feminine looks from my old career in corporate America and have always been attracted to the mix of hard and soft styles. My inspiration for this make were military style sweaters that could fuse with the curves found in the Sora Sweater. I found this incredibly plush Olive double-faced Sweatshirt Fleece from Imagine Gnats and knew it’s heavier weight would be perfect for the fall season. The fleece washes up to leave a cozy and soft texture…almost like a teddy bear (at least that’s what my boys say!)
For the “masculine” details, I used a stretch corduroy found at my local big box shop because I wanted something that could still wash up with the regular laundry. I used the front pattern piece to draw where I wanted the shoulder accents to be. Then I traced over top of it and added a 1/4″ seam allowance for my new pattern piece. This shoulder accent was then sewn directly on top of the cut out front fabric.
For the elbow patches, I used an old blazer of mine to trace the shape and added 1/4″ for seam allowance all around. (For reference, the patches are 5 1/2″ x 3 3/4″ finished.) But with true military sweaters, the patches also cover the forearms so you could also elongate the shape. To have a patch with edges folded-in, run a basting stitch along the seam allowance and use that as a guide to press in the raw edges. The curves may have to be notched out a bit for a smoother line. Place the patch on the sleeve as desired and topstitch.
To balance out the shoulder accents and elbow patches, I added a “faux” button to the shawl collar. It’s “faux” because I stitched it through both sides of the collar and didn’t create a buttonhole. This is purely for looks and not functionality, so why go through the extra steps of creating the buttonhole, right?!
I debated back and forth whether to extend the shoulder accent to the back of the Sora and I’m happy that I left it off. Sometimes a garment can get overworked and I think the amount of corduroy accenting is just perfect. Did you check out the shirt-tail hem? This is another fabulous feature to the pattern. It hides just enough and makes this top work with all the leggings and skinny jeans of the world without making you feel self-concious!
I hope you like the “menswear” inspired accents to my Sora Sweater (aff link) and hope you are inspired to add some fun accents to some of your tried and true patterns!
Judy A
I love it, I was just going to ask about the fabric. I bought the pattern this Summer and have to get that baby sewn up soon. It was 28 here last night in NH. thank you for sharing the great details with us.
Abbey
I absolutely LOVE this!! Will be doing something similar for my sister as her Christmas gift!