Hi Minerva friends! Today I am sharing, not one, but two fun tops I made using this fun leopard print jersey fabric!

I am also pleased to tell you that I got photos of this sweater, just in time for the weather to turn sweltering. For me, taking photos of a finished garment means permission to add to my closet and start wearing, lol. Anyone else!? But hey, let’s look at the bright side, shall we? 6 months from now, I’ll have a brand new sweater waiting for me to cozy up in it!

THE FABRIC:

The fabric is deadstock Viscose Jersey. The fabric content is viscose/polyester/spandex. I don’t normally gravitate towards poly in most fabrics, but the print of this one drew me in and I couldn’t ignore it! 😊 And I also had this sweater in my mind and I knew that this exact fabric would be PERFECT for it.

I wasn’t wrong. 😉

The fabric doesn’t have a ton of stretch, but rather is quite stable. I’m very happy with that fact in this application! I wanted a slightly more structured look in my t-shirt, and for the color-blocking on the sweater, I knew it would be excellent.

THE PATTERN(s):

Both of the patterns I used are by Hey June Handmade. Her patterns are some of my absolute favorites, especially for basics!

JCrew Tee knock-off: Union St Tee – Hey June Handmade

The t-shirt was heavily inspired by JCrew style tees that I see around on Pinterest, as well as just regular perusing on their website. A simple tee in a statement print like this leopard print is something I love to have in my wardrobe. It elevates a jeans and t-shirt look instantly!

The Union St Tee comes in several different neckline and sleeve options, and for this tee, I chose the crew neck with short sleeves.

Boutique Sweater knock-off: Sitka Sweatshirt – Hey June Handmade

The sweater was inspired by QUITE a few cute sweaters I saw listed in boutique shops this past fall. I knew it would be an easy style to replicate and I was determined to do so, especially the minute I laid eyes on this particular fabric!
I color-blocked it with another waffle knit fabric I had on hand.

I love how the leopard really pops and stands out on this sweater! Pairing it with a pair of distressed jean shorts is just perfect. Weather that allows me to wear sweaters and shorts is the absolute best weather on the planet in my opinion. 😊

PATTERN DESIGN CHANGES:

Pattern 1:

Union St Tee. For the tee, I went with my usual sizing choice for less slouchy, more structured knits and cut the body in a size Sm. However, I like the fit in the sleeves to be more relaxed, so I cut those in a size Med and just attached them like normal to the size Sm armscye. I’ve never had a problem doing this with knit tees, and it’s a perfect fit adjustment for me!

Pattern 2:

This was actually my first time sewing the Sitka Sweatshirt and of course, I had to hack it, haha. To achieve the slouchy fit I was after, I sized up 1 and added 1.5 inches added to sleeve length, plus 1 inch added to the bodice length.

The Sitka Sweatshirt was the perfect starting point for the style I was after, but the intended fit is more of a shrunken style, so by sizing up and adding length, it turned out absolutely perfect!

For color-blocking and adding in the leopard stripes, I went with the following dimensions.

Center leopard “stripe” = 7 inches tall.
Sleeve leopard “stripe” – 4.5 inches tall.

SEWING AND FIT:

Hey June Patterns are absolutely top-notch in both fit and sewing instructions. Not to mention the drafting is spot on as well. The patterns are always a joy to sew and fitting is so easy based on her size charts and tips on adjusting to get that perfect fit!

The Union St Tee Pattern: https://www.heyjunehandmade.com/product/union-st-tee/?affiliates=192

The Sitka Sweatshirt: https://www.heyjunehandmade.com/product/sitka-sweatshirt/?affiliates=192

Thanks for taking the time to read the post! 💗