Let me start this by saying, the DIBY Club holds a special place in my heart. Jessica, (the boss lady of the DIBY Club) gave me my first real opportunity at being a pattern tester, a little over a year ago. Not only was that insanely exciting and intimidating, but I learned so much!! I used wovens, buttons and buttonholes, zippers, and yes, we even made jeans, that fit! (insert happy dance) Testing for her gave me the confidence to branch out and continually challenge and redefine my comfort zone so I could grow.
If you haven’t seen a DIBY club pattern, I highly recommend checking them out. The patterns are like taking a class. No joke! There are videos and in depth instructions to help you get the right fit for your body. The patterns are chock full of tips and extra little details that really make a difference, especially when going out of your comfort zone. She even put all the extra time and goodies in her recently released men and women’s free patterns! LOVE!
When the opportunity to test the Melissa sweatshirt came along, I knew as soon as I saw the tester call that I wanted to apply. My schedule and health were good. The stars aligned, as they say, and I applied.
I applied to test the banded version and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to use my purple brushed french terry from So Sew English Fabrics.
The brushed french terry screams sweatshirt to me. It has the soft smooth feel of french terry on the outside. The inside is brushed which gives it this fuzzy soft cozy feel, no loops.
Like I said, perfect for this sweatshirt.
Since the pattern only needs 2-way stretch fabric, it really opens up your fabric choices too. I see you, you gorgeous 2 way fabric just sitting on that shelf.
I did my usual grading, I cut out my fabric, and I was ready to rock this test!
Then it hit me. I cut out the wrong lines! Ugh, total face palm!
After I debated with myself on cutting off the excess fabric (cringe worthy waste) or taking a total chance and making the elastic bottom (which I was sure would emphasize certain things I didn’t want emphasized), I decided to once again step out of my comfort zone and save the fabric. Somebody give me a cape because the fabric saver is here! Dun dun, dun, dunnn!!! It’s true, my fabric stash agrees, I rescue fabric.
Fabric saving aside. I sewed it up, tried it on, and I absolutely loved it! I was shocked. I really thought I would hate it and end up chopping the elastic off and adding a band. Nope, my happy accident, elastic version Melissa, was perfect.
It was a quick sew, which for me means less than 3 hours with kiddo interruptions. The pieces lined up properly and things went together smoothly. There is even a video included on how to install the elastic! I particularly like how the elastic is covered for comfort and it looks really clean like a RTW (Ready To Wear) garment.
The Melissa has two hem styles in addition to the elastic, single fold and banded. It has two lengths, regular shirt or cropped, and you can use any of the hem styles for either. It has the options of adding a kangaroo pocket and a hood too! The hood is lined and has panels. The panels really give it a nice shape when wearing, nothing pointy about it. The sizing range is 00-36 and it looks so great across the board. The options I did on mine were the regular shirt length, elastic hem and sleeves, with the crew neckline. Which options are your favorite?
Since the Melissa just released it is on sale right now and you can check it out here . Make sure you scroll down on the listing and look through the tester gallery to see more versions. Also, little tip, if you sign up to be a DIBY insider you get additional discounts and special emails when she has new releases and sales. Yay for insider info!!!
I’m thinking of pushing myself out of my comfort zone again and giving that cropped version a try, it is so cute!!! Until then I will stay cozy in my happy accident, that I can’t stop wearing.
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through that link, I may get a % back, at no additional cost to you. Let’s be honest, we all know it goes right back to adding to my fabric stash. All opinions on this blog are my own and I have a lot, ha ha ha.
Sew Gr8ful 