Skip to main content

The Surprising Fit of My Hepburn Turtleneck

You guys must know by now what a Fan Girl I am for Itch-To-Stitch Patterns. Even so, when the Hepburn Turtleneck was released last spring, I completely passed it over: It's not the 90's anymore; I'm too busty and thick through the waist; high necklines don't flatter me...

But then, as I Googled for ways to style my new "grunge" inspired Emily Culottes, I realized just how wrong I was. The 90's are IN right now. Turtlenecks are back and it is the perfect compliment to my new culottes.



So, a few Sundays ago, I found myself downloading the Hepburn PDF and then I popped out not one, but TWO versions in a single afternoon. That's pretty much unheard of in my sewing room. 

I usually measure between an 8 and 10 in Itch-To-Stitch, with the 8 being my go-to size for wovens. The Hepburn Turtleneck is a knit, with NEGATIVE ease, so for this pattern I decided to size up to the 10. It was the perfect choice. Other than a 1/2 inch forward shoulder adjustment, something I do on just about every top I make, both my Hepburns are straight 10s off the pattern. I love everything from the circumference of the neck -- to the length of the 3/4 sleeve -- to the shape of the side seam. Even the size of the armholes, (which always feel too big for me on sewing patterns) was just right.


The black version was my first, and it is made with some light weight black rayon blend rib knit from Joann Fabrics. I bought an end bolt of the stuff many years ago when the old store in town clearanced everything to move to a new location. This turtleneck is the first successful garment I've made with the stuff.


My second Hepburn is also from a Joann's knit. This one is a mystery blend with light grey, dark grey and brown stripes. The fabric is different from the rib knit, and I had concerns it would come out too tight. While it is a tad slimmer, it still fits quite nicely.


I've worn them both already, mixed and matched with my brown wool Seville Skirt from last spring's pattern test as well as some RTW jeans. I had trouble deciding which shoes I liked best with the jeans. I think the shorter booties make my legs look longer, yes?


I've learned a lesson here: Turns out I definitely dismissed this pattern too quickly when it was released. It's a very quick, very well drafted basic that will get tons of use in my wardrobe. 

Have you tried the Hepburn yet? 

Comments

  1. Nicely done. I too have had the pattern since it's release and yet to sew. Good source of information on how it turned out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope that you like making yours too. If you can, share the results in the Itch-To-Stitch Facebook group. I love to see how everyone interprets the patterns! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ItchToStitchDesigns/

      Delete
  2. Yes, I made two, actually 3 including the first one while testing. And soon I will make another one in a nice sweater knit.Love your styling!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I look forward to seeing your sweater knit version when it's finished.

      Delete
  3. I love how they fit you. Especially the more slim fit of the stripped one, looks so flattering on you. You look great. What a great sew.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, I was happily surprised with the striped one too.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meet My New BFFF: Breaking Ground With Mountain View Pull On Jeans From Itch-To-Stitch

Finding perfect jeans is like finding a unicorn....  Do YOU have unicorn in your back yard?  Yeah. Me either. What I DO have is the newest Itch-To-Stitch Designs pattern release: Mountain View Pull On Jeans , and they are my new BFFF! They MIGHT even be unicorn jeans... Breaking Ground is mostly about trying new-to-you designers,  but you can also twist it to be a new-to-you technique, style or other such personal challenge.  Obviously, Itch-to-Stitch is NOT new to me, but the concept of pull on pants as everyday wear is, and it's a trend I've tried to avoid for a long time! Pull on pants are for yoga and sleeping, right? My personal rule is no lounge pants outside the house, unless I'm ACTUALLY going somewhere to exercise. (SNORT)  Wearing pull on pants or leggings as real pants (that look terrific) is how I'm Breaking Ground for myself! Pattern Details Mountain View Pull On Jeans gives you just about everything you find in a tr...

My Perfect Vacation Pants, The Itch-To-Stitch Sequoia Cargos

I'm back at it with the pants again! Itch-To-Stitch has a new pattern this week: Sequoia Cargos & Shorts . It's still winter here, so I'm sharing the long pants option today. I'm taking a long weekend trip this March, and I need to start sewing a vacation capsule to pack. For the last 15 years or so, my friend has taken a casino bus trip with a few dozen of her teaching colleages. A few years back, her husband decided he no longer wanted to go, and I've volunteered to be her Plus One for the third year in a row. We will be getting on a bus super early on a Saturday and driving 6 hours or so over the Mackinac Bridge to the U.P. The ride up is filled with chatter and drinking and games, and we all have loads of fun. Then the next two days are filled with more food & drink, card games & slots. I'm not much of a gambler; I'd rather spend my dollars on a Pina Colada than a pull of the slot handle, but I find plenty of ways to enjoy myself. N...

When A Pattern Test Goes Pear Shaped: Saving My ITS Danube Jean Skirt

Every now and then, I have a project where every decision I make is wrong, and I have to battle tooth & nail to get to the end. Itch-To-Stitch recently released the Danube Jean Skirt . I love everything about the design of this skirt: slim fitting, DENIM, wind friendly, go-with-everything casual, sits at the natural waist, side slits for something fun and less formal. I was very excited to jump into the testing phase. I had a couple heavier non stretch twill fabrics in my stash suitable for muslins... and exactly 1 piece of non stretch denim which I earmarked for my final skirt. In The Beginning The first muslin revealed the need for some fine tuning, something that should be expected during the testing phase. V2 for the pattern was distributed and my second muslin came together quickly. I got exactly what I expected. A pretty well-fitting skirt except for my prominent full seat which was pulling all my fabric out of whack. No big deal, right? I've had this issue for...