Wear the Trend: Cosy Knits Brazilian-born sewing blogger, Rachel Pinheiro shares how to wear knitwear head-to-toe! The sun may still be shining however I’d like to inspire you to try out this autumn/winter’s big knitwear trend. If wearing knitwear from head-to-toe probably isn’t something you’ve considered before then it might be time to try! Carrying on from our ‘comfort at home’ lockdown co-ord days, now’s the time to add a cosy layer. We need every little bit of luxury right now and this fabric is lush! I have made two of the Como patterns Style Arc - the trousers and the top. This indie sewing pattern brand has designed a Como three-piece set, in which you can buy separately or as a bundle. I skipped the cardigan because this outfit is crying out for a knit blazer (I’d recommend the Morris from Grainline Studios). At the moment, this style is perfect for my stay-at-home dressing however, dare I dream one day to travel on an airplane this would be perfect. I could even made a matching mask. I picked grey for the whole look, as I love monochrome these days. To avoid it being too much of a single-colour – pick a fabric with a lovely texture. Because let’s face it, as the nights draw colder and darker, there’s nothing better than luxuriating in a sumptuous, comfy, and cosy knit set!
Working with Style Arc patterns Little note about Style Arc patterns – the instructions are minimal. Honestly I love that, because they focus the illustrations on the more tricky areas only. They list action step-by-step as text, which is simple and straightforward. I sometimes find myself confused by really long and overwritten instructions, don’t you? That is exacerbated by a language barrier that many makers have if they aren’t native English speakers. To have ‘perfect instructions’ is something very hard for pattern brands because each individual sewer has different needs.
Some makers need the pattern to teach as they sew and seek the instructions to explain every little detail. Others are more experienced, and only need to check instructions for reference occasionally, so having text only doesn’t matter. For reference, on Style Arc sizing – for this top, I made size 10, which is one down from what they suggested for my measurements (size 12) because I wanted a snug fit. And I went with a size 12 on the trousers. I never use the elastic measurements of a pattern because the stretch tends to differ depending on the elastic brand and width.
