Sewaholic Renfrew: Must Have for Knit Lovers

It's no secret that I dig Tasia of Sewaholic's style. It's also no secret that I love sewing and wearing knits -- they're by far the most reached-for items in my wardrobe. Put the two together and you've got Tasia's latest pattern, a stylish take on comfort: The Renfrew pattern.

The pattern (announced here) is a stable knit top with three neckline options—a V-neck, a scoop neck, or a cowl neck—and three sleeve lengths.

I was thrilled to be one of Tasia's pattern testers. Even though her line serves pear-shaped women, this pattern is equally useful for rectangular gals, too (the waist definition offers some shape!). The sleeves and hem are cleanly finished with bands and you don't need a serger.

Really, this is a pattern that keeps on giving. The options seems to be endless. I made all three versions because I was excited about the neckline variety. This is my favorite:

Using a thrifted dress in a stable, heather blue polyester knit, I cut up a version with long sleeves and a cowl neck, shortening the length for my petite frame. I love that sporty look (partly inspired by Twinkle Sews Take Manhattan tunic) and I ended up adding a cord to the front of the tunic, like a hooded sweatshirt. I also used the wrong side of the fabric for the cowl, hem and cuffs to add contrast.

I wear this all the time. This was me going to pick up our box of veggies at the market on Saturday. Sometimes I doze off in it, it's so comfortable.

This was my first version, in stripe. This had a lot more stretch than the one above and I wish the fabric had more weight. The v-neck is a bit off, but v-necks are always tricky and Tasia's version is one of the best I've seen.

Lesson learned: Follow the suggested fabric suggestions! Stable knits don't have much stretch and they're a dream to sew with -- they seem to be the perfect combo of the ease of sewing with wovens with the comfort of knits.

Think of the options. You could make nine different tops, but you could also use contrast bands and hem for a totally different look. You could also lengthen each of these into dresses, with or without the hem band. A lovely cowl neck dress with three quarter sleeves for the office? A short-sleeve v-neck dress for summer? Lots of long sleeves to get you through winter?

Highly recommended. Pre-sale for the Renfrew available to Sewaholic newsletter subscribers. You can subscribe here.

Happy sewing!! And thanks to all your thoughts on dress forms. You'll meet her soon :)