I have been meaning to make Tim the Thread Theory Finlayson Sweater for the longest time... finally, a reason to make it and a great fabric from Fabric Mart!
The fabric is a Fossil Gray Rayon/Nylon/Lycra Ponte Knit, which is now out of stock (although it looks like they have some new striped and windowpane check ponte in stock!). It's a lovely color and a really high quality, thick ponte.
For the Finlayson, Tim's measurements put him smack between sizes, but I didn't want to run the risk that it be too big or too small (in my experience Thread Theory patterns can run slim), so I improvised. I cut a size large and used smaller seam allowances on the major seams (shoulders, sides and underarms). The pattern calls for 5/8" seam allowances, so there is lots of wiggle room.
This pattern has some lovely details, like the decorative back neck facing. I used a scrap of mammoth flannel left from my Cheyenne tunic for that detail, and made sure to sew on one of my labels (from Dutch Label Shop) before topstitching it down.
I love the collar! It was a bit fiddly to sew those square corners where it attaches to the bodice, so mine aren't entirely crisp, but I am pretty happy with how it looks anyway!
The cuffs seem a bit small relative to the end of the sleeve, so much so that the sleeves almost appear gathered at the cuff. Next time I'll slim the sleeve down at the forearm a bit so it's a smoother transition to the cuff.
I could see this sweater looking nice with a hemmed sleeve and bodice, too, in lieu of the cuffs and band. It would dress it up a bit!
It looks pretty fabulous on Tim! He's worn it several times already, so I know it's a winner. I am looking forward to seeing how the Finlayson pattern works in different fabrics!
Thanks to Fabric Mart for providing the fabric for this post. You can read more about this project over on the Fabricista blog!!
