Sofilantjes Otium Sweater Pattern Test

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE this shirt. (Doesn’t it look like I love it? I’m sorry for the indoor pictures, but I figured that with all the rain and wind we’ve had, that it was indoor or nothin’).

Okay, now that we have that out of the way. I received the pattern for free in exchange for honest feedback when testing the pattern out.  I made the pattern in size XXL – I went by my bust measurements (it comes in XS-XXXL, so it’s great for us curvy gals). I was a little nervous that it would be too small or pull too much in the hips or waist, but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. I made no adjustments to the pattern.

The Fabric

Let’s talk a minute about the fabric. You see this gorgeous sheer fabric with silver stripes running through it? It’s a stretch/novelty knit fabric. I honestly don’t know if you can get it anywhere anymore.  You know why? I found it at a thrift store for $3.00. There were 3 yards of it, and it’s 58″ wide. I have leftovers from it, and I’ll be using the leftovers to make Vogue 1376.

The plain black fabric on the neckband, waistband and sleeves was a pain in the butt to work with. It wanted to curl as I’d sew, and it wanted to get trapped in my sewing machine’s feed. That was pretty annoying – but the fabric has a LOT of stretch, and it feels really nice. This fabric was not a thrift store find. Nope, we went out and bought it – both for the contrast parts of this shirt and because I want to make those leggings in Vogue 1376.

The Pattern

There are three (well, six if you count long sleeve or short sleeves) options for making the sweater – a diagonal pocket, a low back with bow, and a standard with a high round neck. The sizing is generous, and can fit anyone from a 31 inch bust to a 52 inch bust with minimal alterations. Since I’m 48-44-53 (yup, baby got back) I was advised to make the XXL.

What I love about this pattern (one of the many things, really) is that when you print it, you can choose exactly which pages to print, because the instructions tell you what you will need for the view you wish to make. It seems like a small thing, but it’s really not. I love saving paper and printer ink. The pages lined up really well, and, well, it was really easy to work with.

Sewing the pattern

Guess what!?! I remembered to pre-wash my fabric! YAY! Other than some frustration with the black super 4-way stretchy fabric, this pattern sewed up really quickly. I made French seams since I was working with a sheer fabric. The only road block I had when making it was the bow (as in how to pin it to sew it in place), but that got straightened out pretty quickly.

In all, I was really happy with how this one turned out. I liked it so much, I went ahead and purchased the girl’s version for sizes 12months-14 years. I see a few more of these in my future.

Right now, in conjunction with the pattern’s release, the women’s pattern is $7, the children’s pattern is $6.50, and the bundle of the two is $13. They can be purchased here. (This is not an affiliate link).

Here are more pictures of the top.

Paprika Patterns Jasper