Ever since it came out, I have had the Tabor V-Neck Sweater by Sew House Seven on my mind. There’s something about the chunky neckband, loose fit, and gentle draping at the shoulders that struck me. I’ve also been meaning to try out the cropped-waist silhouette. I normally tend to gravitate towards cinched silhouettes for my hourglass figure, but the chill, relaxed feel of the cropped trend has been catching my eye.

I chose the Knitted Cotton Fabric in white and it couldn’t be more perfect for the sweater version of this pattern. A spongy fabric of substantial weight, it has just the right amount of stretch and elasticity to avoid puckering at the neckband while also possessing a good amount of body and hold without being stiff. I also love that it’s 100% cotton, machine-wash safe and breathable but not itchy against the skin.

I chose to make the cropped, sleeveless version with the wider neckband that I’ll be able to throw on during chilly summer nights. Every time I look at it, I can imagine it keeping my shoulders warm on evenings with a cool off the water breeze, lounging somewhere after a day in the sun, my feet in the sand. Can you tell I’m craving a summer holiday by the sea? As a native New Englander, I get restless when I haven’t been to the ocean in a while and the Parisian lifestyle is strictly land-locked. Perhaps a picnic by the Seine soon?

This project was the perfect sewing palate-cleanser; I cut it out and sewed it up in half a day. The instructions are fantastically written, well illustrated and all the pieces came together nicely. I did use a walking foot since the feed dogs on my machine tend to pull the bottom layer of stretch fabrics from underneath the presser foot faster than the top and a walking foot keeps both layers together nicely.
I will say that unpicking stitches from this fabric is not a picnic as they sink into the fabric and become almost invisible. Luckily, I didn’t have much unstitching to do – this pattern is well designed and relatively simple. I also used a faux-serging stitch with my sewing machine to finish all of the seam edges as this fabric unravels in little snowflake-like balls along the cut edges.

I am very satisfied with the finished garment – it will definitely be one of my most-worn pieces this summer and early fall. It’s also a great length; just long enough to be able to tuck the front into a high-waisted skirt or pants to emphasize the waist and short enough to skim over the tummy and sit at the high hips. A versatile layering piece in a neutral color, I think it will quickly become a piece I use often.

I’m off now to research summer holiday destination - all this daydreaming has me craving saltwater and sun!

Thanks for reading!
Sarah
@sarah__naomi_