Simple Blouse Variation: Standing Collar Sweatshirt

Whoa. It has been a while since I've posted or made anything!

I will probably post later this week to fill you in on the new huge project I've started.

I'm excited, and terrified about it...and just hope it will be done by the end of this year.

I've also been cramming (and not doing so great) on the mid-terms that were this weekend.

Going back to college is killing any hobby time!!!

But, I finally got another tutorial for the Simple Blouse Pattern together.

Since you really need a sweatshirt now that it's spring.

But maybe if you're in the southern hemisphere or use a lighter sweater knit, it might work now!

This is kind of a funky sweatshirt.

I was inspired by the standing collars of the 60s and thought I'd add some wood buttons in there as well for contrast and something different.

I used sweatshirt fleece, which only has about 10% stretch and is thicker in order to achieve the tall standing collar, and have worn it once a week all winter.

It's like the more grown-up hoodie for me.

The comfortable, slouchy, basically-wearing-pajamas-today top with a few elements that make it look like you're not heading to the gym.

For me, I've never been to the gym, it's more a pretending I got a chance to shower before noon and faking that I actually got dressed.

Like all the other Simple Blouse variations, the pattern is designed to help teach you the basic baby steps to altering a basic top into your own creative design.

So feel free to make the collar shorter, or ditch it all together and add ribbing like Lynette's tutorial here.

The button tab on the collar only has one real buttonhole on the very front where it crosses to hold the overlapping collar together.

The kangaroo pocket at the waist also has button tabs you could kill as well.

It's hopefully a helpful guide to help you envision where you can take your own ideas.

So get out your Simple Blouse Pattern and click through below to get the full tutorial!!

1. Alter Pattern and Cut Out:

FRONT:  add 1/2" to neckline at shoulders and bring center front up 2"

BACK: bring in shoulders 1/2" and add 1/2" taller on center back fold to bring the neckline in and up a little bit

**TO add waist cuff, I made my front and back pieces 1" shorter using shorten lines on pattern adjust as your body requires if you want the cuff

SLEEVES: create long sleeves using pattern instructions, but make 2" shorter if you desire a wrist cuff

2. Measure and Cut Additional Pieces

Rather than list the dimensions here, I thought it would be more user friendly to print a page to have at your side as you measure and cut.

LIST OF ADDITIONAL SWEATSHIRT PIECES

Remember to cut your sweatshirt fleece or knit with stretch going side to side not up and down!

3. Assemble Round One

For sewing efficiency, I completed all the individual pieces that require turning out and top-stitching.

Remember to leave the openings so you can turn the pieces right side out. 

The collar seam is up one side around the curve, across the top, and down the other curve.  The whole straight bottom is unsewn to turn.

4. Sew on Kangaroo Pouch

a. Sew buttonholes to pocket tabs

b. Baste tabs (right sides together) centered on sides of outer pocket fabric

c. Add lining to pocket outer and sew up, across, and down, leaving bottom open.

Trim seam allowances and snip corners.

d. Top-stitch side seams of pockets, securing tabs in place.

3. Pin pocket on blouse front piece centered with raw bottom edges matching up.

Top-stitch along pocket top (I sewed 2 rows). Baste all 3 layers at bottom hem.

At this point construct sweatshirt using standard instructions in pattern to create the front and back together with the sleeves.

5. Attach Collar

The measurements give you room for a 3" overlap on the collar.

Position collar and baste or pin overlap.

Mark quarters on neckline and collar.

Pin collar to right side of blouse.

**To achieve the standing collar, it should pretty much be the same circumference as your neckline.

If uneven (more than 1/2" + or -) adjust the overlap of collar (bringing in or out) to get a better fit.**

If you chose to add the tab across the collar overlap, sew your button hole on one end if you're doing the 3 buttons.  

Sew first button on blouse collar (on underlap).

Button tab onto collar, and sew the remaining 2nd and 3rd buttons through all three layers, tacking the fake buttons through the whole collar.

6. Finish Off Wrist and Waist Hem

With right sides together, sew the side seam of the short side of waist ribbing.  Fold it in half, wrong sides together, and pin or mark quarters.

For the wrist cuffs, the steps are the same, but make sure your long side is the side seam you sew, right sides together.  Open seam allowances and fold wrong sides together for the cuff.

To attach the waist ribbing, mark center front and back on blouse, and use side seams for quarter marks.

Pin waist ribbing right sides together.

The ribbing is slightly smaller than the blouse so you'll have to stretch the blouse slightly as you sew around, making sure to aline all raw edges in the seam.

You can mark quarters on the sleeve and wrist cuff, but I just pin underarm sleeve to cuff seam, right sides together.

The wrist cuffs will also be smaller than the sleeve and will need to slightly stretch as you sew seam.

FINISHED!!

I hope this tutorial will help you make your own collared sweatshirt, or at least open up ideas to customize your Simple Blouse Pattern to something totally new, fabulous and completely you!