Colette Sobretto Tank Part 1

Colette Sobretto Tank Part 1

Sewing

cp0003-sorbetto-01-med-d99ef177f976e452371143dfd3a1a064

Sobretto Tank By Colette Patterns

Affiliate Links

I am really enjoying the Sobretto Tank by Colette Patterns, which you can see to the right. The pattern is free to download on the Colette Patterns website. Click here if you would like to download the Sobretto Tank pdf pattern. You can find a pattern for an optional sleeve here or here. Alternatively, you could draft your own sleeve using standard techniques (here is a tutorial on Threads).

The Sobretto is a very simple pattern (only two pieces) for a lovely pull over tank, with a center inverted box pleat and trimmed with bias binding at the neckline/arm holes. I find that the shoulders are exactly the right place to cover my bra straps, which I really appreciate. This is a classic pattern that is easy to modify for different looks and can be made with a wide range of fabrics. I will make the Sobretto many times in the future, especially to wear to work under a suit jacket.

The primary pattern adjustment was a FBA. Additionally, I adjust the placement and the angle of the shoulder seams, as well as the placement of the side seams.

The first time I made the Sobretto, I tried a fancy FBA that Sandra Betzina described in her book Fast Fit: Easy Pattern Alterations for Every Figure (or maybe it was Power Sewing Step-by-Step). I must have not done it correctly as this particular FBA caused all sorts of other problems. that had to be corrected by taking in a lot of fabric with princess darts. Also the neck gaped and my bra showed through the arm holes. It was a good thing that I used some inexpensive quilting fabric as a wearable muslin.

The second time I made the Sobretto, I had much better success. This time, I did a traditional FBA, which didn’t cause any problems that required fixing with darts, etc. I also eliminated the box pleat.  As always, I tried out my adjusted pattern with a muslin. Below, you can see the front of my muslin, which shows the FBA (green) and marking (from when I tried on the muslin) showing where the side seam should go (purple).

Sobretto-2-muslin-FBA

Fit Adjustments To Muslin Of My Sobretto Tank Pattern

 

If you need a good tutorial for a FBA, click here, or check out many other tutorials available on the web and in books. I still had to adjust the shoulder and side seams. I think these are going to be standard modifications for me.

All of these modifications worked out perfectly. Here is my final product.

Sobretto-2-final-1

Me In My Sobretto Tank Squinting Into The Sunlight.

 

In my next post, I will review all of the embellishments that I made to this top.

Apr 11, 2015
2 At A Time Socks For Eleanor

2 At A Time Socks For Eleanor

Kitting

Affiliate Links
Sunny_Socks_Layout_04072015

I am a sock knitter. I don’t know why, but I really enjoy making socks, especially lace socks. Maybe it is because I have cold feet. Who really knows.

As you can see above, the socks that I am currently knitting are pretty darned sunny. I have finished the cuffs and legs, and have started on the heals.  This is Stroll Tonal Sock Yarn (I think in the Poppy Fields colorway) from Knit Picks. I love bright colors. So, in addition to keeping my tootsies warm, these socks should lighten my mood in the dreary months of winter.

I used to knit all of my socks on DPNs, but I wanted to learn to do them on one or two double pointed needles so that I wouldn’t have second sock syndrome anymore. To learn to knit two socks at a time, I first tried to teach myself using Melissa Morgan-Oakes’s book 2-at-a-Time Socks: Revealed Inside. . . The Secret of Knitting Two at Once on One Circular Needle Works for any Sock Pattern! That didn’t work out so well.

Then I tried looking on YouTube. That turned out much better. I found Very Pink Knits video 2 Socks at-a-time on 2 Circulars, Parts 1-7, which is fantastic.  You can watch the video for free, as much as you want. But, you can purchase the sock pattern that goes with the video for only $8. The best feature of the video is that you can re-wind it and watch any portion as often as you need to figure out how to do it.  After watching portions of the video repeatedly and frogging my knitting five times, I was able to knit a lovely pair of bed socks for my daughter.

After the bed socks, I switched to a size 2.25mm circular needle and began my sunny socks using the Classic Sock pattern in Morgan-Oakes’s book. I chose this pattern for two reasons. First, because it is simple, I shouldn’t have too many problems with my first pair of 2 at a time socks on tiny needles. Second, since this colorway is so bright, I thought that it would look best with a solid, plain sock, instead of lace.

I have noticed that some colorways, such as complex colorways, just don’t work well for lace socks. For lace socks, I prefer single color yarn or subtle colorways, so that the yarn does not distract from the lace pattern.

Apr 8, 2015

Pin It on Pinterest