Mile End Sweatshirt and Plateau Joggers by Closet Core Patterns
The Mile End Sweatshirt and the Plateau Joggers make up the Montreal Collection of loungewear recently launched by Closet Core Patterns. Back in December, I had the wonderful privilege of pattern testing these 2 patterns, and since then I’ve been lounging in stretch velvet glam during the pandemic.
I made a matching set with 2 colours of the same polyester stretch velvet rib knit – in rust and coffee. These 2 patterns really lend themselves for multiple possibilities of colour-blocking, and that’s what I did. Initially, I was a little afraid that the fabric may be too lightweight for the top, because the suggested fabric to use is something more stable with better structure. But I think it ended up OK. This fabric gives the top a slinkier feel. It was perfect for the joggers though, and I love how comfy both pieces turned out. The loungewear design definitely doesn’t compromise style for comfort.
There are some details that elevate these two patterns beyond your everyday slouch-wear or athleisure-wear. For example, the sleeves of the sweatshirt are made up of upper and lower pieces, and they have 2 darts for extra shaping. The back bodice has a yoke and the side seams wrap around to the front at an angle. And there is a bottom band that continues that same angular line from the back. There are 3 versions of the sweatshirt to choose from – a crew neck, a crew neck with a gathered tie-front and a V-neck hoodie. The V-neck has an unusual cross-over feature as well that leads to a kangaroo pocket in the front. For the joggers, the side pockets are designed cleverly into side seams that have been moved closer towards the front of the pant. I like that they are high waisted and have options for back pockets. The joggers can be full-length or made into shorts.
Sizes for these patterns are generous, which is one of the main selling points for Closet Core Patterns, where most of their patterns are size-inclusive. There are 2 size groupings: 0-2 or 14-32. I made the V-neck hoodie in size 2; and the joggers in size 4 – both with zero modifications. Keep in mind that the garments that I made were based on earlier versions of the pattern before the final drafts that are now in the Closet Core shop. Through the testing process, many improvements have been made to these patterns, and I am happy to see that Closet Core took the time to take in suggestions and criticisms.
For example, the V-neck was sitting a tad too low in the front for me, and the team has adjusted this detail and many more suggestions from different testers. That’s what I like about independent designers who keep an open and listening ear for their audience, and are ready to receive feedback without compromising on their unique voice and expression.
From the start, the joggers were a spot-on fit for me, and my only complaint with this project is my shoddy serging skills. It was one of my first projects experimenting with my new Juki 654D, and I had no idea that differential feed would make such a big difference with different fabrics. LOL or COL (cry out loud, in my case)! So I learned this the hard way and some of the inside seams have that waviness that bothers no one else but me. I also made this mistake by attaching the bottom band to the sweatshirt with the knap of the fabric going in the wrong direction. Oy vey! I didn’t notice this until it was way way too late, and didn’t have the strength left to unpick a whole seam of serging and double-stitches for knit fabrics. I was really crushed but my husband says that it bothers no one else but me. So I have accepted these boo-boos and the fact that I am human. Haha, sometimes it is very difficult for me to accept my humanness. Most of the time, the hardest person on me is MYSELF.
Here’s another little story of how I’ve been hard on myself this past week. If you’ve been following me on Instagram (@geri_in_stitches) , you might have noticed that I have been churning out 3 versions of the Hallon Dress by Paradise Patterns. I promise the pattern review and the hack of this dress into a jumpsuit is coming up soon in this blog. I was trying to write it when I realised that the hack is best represented visually on video, and started this new endeavour to make a YouTube video. But a series of unfortunate events, and a myriad of rookie mistakes made me feel that this is a gargantuan task, and I should just abandon it. Then I realised that what was stressing me out the most was the unrealistic deadline that I set for myself, especially when I am trying to make this video when my kids are hyper and hyper-bored during the Passover holidays. There was no way I was getting this done when I don’t have a quiet moment in the house. So I released it. I released the pressure I was placing on myself. I decided to take my time with it, to enjoy the process of it! Isn’t it funny that this shift makes everything different?
This week also saw the release of the 2nd part of the Hitomezashi Sashiko on the Ashton Top tutorial which is a guest blog I wrote for Fabrics-store.com on their Thread Blog. This instalment focuses on the stitching that I did on this Ashton Top. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to visit the blog. Your time, support and encouragement is highly valued. And thank you for your presence here. Sew happy, and happy sewing!
