Hello all! Here we are almost a week later since my last post. How is everyone doing? I waver between calm, rational thought and obsessive worrying and anxiety lately. There seems to be no middle ground for me.
So I thought I'd distract myself with a long overdue post about my trio of
Helen's Closet Elliot Sweaters that I made earlier in the new year. How have I neglected to blog about them? I wear them all the time! Next time
One Week One Pattern roles around it will be a no brainer for me given I have a total of five Elliots now! You can see my previous versions
here and
here. Oh! And I made my daughter one last year for Christmas... I don't think I have a photo of that one though. I love this pattern. Can you tell?
Let's get down to business here! Note - these might not actually be in order of how I sewed them. Too many weeks and too many things have gone on in between to remember details like that and I'm a bit too lazy to figure it all out right now. It doesn't really matter anyway.
Elliot #1 :
I sewed this one as an entry for the Fabric Snob's sew along. It has a few mods to it - I lengthened the front, lowered the neckline slightly, and simply lengthened the sleeves following the pattern lines so they ended up somewhat belled. I
LOVE this sweater. It's in a
hacci sweater knit from the Fabric Snob. They still have it stock right now as a matter of fact.
Elliot #2 :
A t-shirt version is up next. This one I'm not quite as happy with because first I lengthened it too much and then I shortened it too much.
WHY? Why do I do that so often? ?? And now I feel that it hits at an awkward point maybe. Also the sleeves need to be shortened just a smidge still. I followed View C with the banded neckline, and had, as mentioned, initially lengthened it to have a curved hem. I also initially shortened the sleeves somewhat from the pattern, but still not enough for my preference. After over shortening the top itself I'm scared I'll shorten the sleeves with reckless abandon as well and regret it. What I don't regret at all is the fabric I used. This one is a
tri-blend jersey also from the Fabric Snob (and also still in stock) and it is so, so soft and comfy!
Elliot #3 :
I'm not going to lie... this one could be my very favourite of all my Elliots maybe. It's definitely right up there. What seems like forever ago,
Helen posted photos of herself wearing an Elliot dress. She looked amazing in it and I couldn't get the idea of a Elliot dress out of my head. I had some French Terry from
Water Tower Textiles sitting in my stash since last August waiting to be used, and it seemed perfect for a dress with such simple lines. For this one I simply extended the front and back to the length I wanted to have a straight hem and the rest is as View A is designed. This dress makes me feel like a million bucks. It's comfy (hello, secret pjs!), easy to throw on and easy to wear. It checks
all the boxes! Thanks for the inspiration, Helen!!
So there you go! There's my three Elliots in all their glory! It's such a great "blank canvas" type pattern with its simple design lines and possibilities for hacking. Helen also has a
great post up on her blog with her versions of just her tees which could be a great jumping off point if you're looking for inspiration!
That's it for me now - back to reality, housework and making supper. Until next time, I wish you all to stay safe and healthy and remember, especially in these difficult times to try and share kindness and light as you go throughout your day.
