The Lola Jumper

It is cold down here in Sydney, so it's jumper and cardi season. I haven't owned a fleecy jumper in years because I never liked any I saw in stores, but last year I made the Lola Dress by Victory Patterns, an empire line princess seamed fleece dress, and it was wonderful and cosy and easy to make. So I decided it would be a good base pattern to adapt for a jumper.  

I bought the fabric at Spotlight, in the clearance section, for $8 a metre. They had a lot of other fleeces - there are lots of fleeces with assorted animals on them around at the moment! - but none of them really grabbed me. This one, with windows and clocks and buildings printed on it, was probably the simplest print, and colourwise goes with more thins. And being half the price of the others, I decided it was the best one.

Because the original pattern is an empire line dress with a scooped back seam and elbow-length sleeves, I obviously had to lengthen everything. I also went up three sizes so that it would be roomier without  being too oversized. I got the roominess right, but I didn't quite add enough length. Even though I measured it before cutting it out, even thinking I'd added a bit more than I might need but would be able to trim it back if necessary, my measuring was obviously off. It finishes about an inch and a half shorter than I'd planned on the sleeves and the waist, making it a slightly cropped jumper when it wasn't really meant to be. But the cuffs keep the warmth in, so the length isn't really an issue.

I like that the curved hem makes the jumper longer at the back. I don't know about others, but I find that my lower back being exposed on a cold day makes me feel colder than anything else. Although the jumper is a little cropped, it still ends far enough down at the back to keep me covered up and warm.

The jumper was very easy to make, the instructions are straightforward and easy to follow. Although attaching the ribbing is a bit tricky. I swear it takes more time just to get the ribbing pinned evenly than it does to sew the entire jumper! I really think it needs three hands to properly get it in place, unless you want it to be very loose.