I am a sucker for a good back detail, so I loved this pattern when I first saw it! I picked it up during Black Friday sales (…in 2019!), and started looking for just the right fabric right away. When this reversible knit fabric came along, I thought it would be a perfect match. I wanted to use the mint as my right-side fabric, but was hoping that the grey would kind of peek through the twist a little more obviously than it does! The top is great, but I wish the reversible-ness of the fabric were a bit more notable!
I sewed up a size Small in this pattern, and I’m not sure whether the drag lines in the underarm area are a result of choosing the wrong size (too small? too large? I’m not sure!) or simply of the drop-shoulder pattern design. This was my only real qualm with this pattern; otherwise, I love the end result.
I sewed this about a year ago now, and honestly, looking back at these pictures, they don’t bring a lot of great feelings. As the COVID situation developed and brought a lot of changes to our lives, my day to day life shrunk to three spaces – the hospital where I work, my home, and the streets of our neighborhood where I was going for head-clearing runs 3 times each week. This subsequently meant that my outfits turned into a rotation of scrubs, running shorts, and pajamas (sometimes a ratty old tee, sometimes proper pajamas, sometimes somewhere in between). Overall, I turned into a regular old frump and these pictures remind me of how out of place, confused, and simply “not me” I felt at the time.
After making this, I started bringing this sweatshirt into my regular weekly rotation. I’m always cold, so a sweatshirt is a perfect at-home option for me, no matter how quickly the Texas sun wants to rush through spring and head straight on towards summer. The back detail makes me feel a little more cute and flirty than my usual oversized tee and no pants combo, and I’m sure my husband also appreciates that little bit of extra! It has been fun to play around with different bralettes peeking out of the back, but I think the bare back look is my current favorite.
This top was made with fabric gifted from Minerva, and I’ve got a longer, more detailed blog post up over on their site where you can read more about this fabric, and get a few more ideas about what you could make with it! I’m trying to decide if I need another colorway – it is so soft!!
Sweatshirt: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva – Dusty Mint Green Double Sided Jersey Knit Fabric
Pattern: Patterns for Pirates – Twist Back Top
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Though the fabric used in this post was generously provided to me by the awesome team at Minerva, all words and opinions expressed are my own, as always! Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
