Elastic Tie Sweater in a wax print fabric!

I made size L and have a small bust (A), broad shoulders (a size 16 or 18 in the Big 4), and long arms. There is a lot of ease in this pattern so L is quite roomy. This pattern could likely fit someone with a C or maybe even C. Check the finished measurements they provide on the website here (you have to click on the image to see the measurements).

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very clear and there’s a helpful illustration to show how to sew the shoulders together. The pattern calls for Hemfix tape, Wundaweb, which isn’t a brand sold in the U.S. But it’s essentially Stitch Witchery – fusible bonding web. You use four small pieces to hold the front and facing pieces together where you have to poke holes for the elastic tie.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the design. Everyone at work admired it and liked the elastic tie detail. There is a center back seam, which was great for sewing with a border print. But you can easily remove the center back seam and cut it on the fold but you will need to use more fabric to do so.

Fabric Used: A wax print with a border gifted to me by a colleague at work. She got it in Africa a few years ago and decided to give it away.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: You’re instructed to stitch in the ditch in the back of the neck to hold down the facing but I didn’t think I would be able to hide that with the fabric I was using so instead, I stitched in the ditch in the center back seam of the neck and tacked down the facing at the shoulders. Otherwise I didn’t make any changes and it fit me really well.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, I’m making another one with some quilt-weight fabric.

Conclusion: I plan on making more of these. This would be a tricky pattern to make any adjustments other than length but it’s designed with a lot of ease so it should fit a range of body types. You can see more photos and read more about this top on my blog post The Elastic Tie Sweater in a wax print fabric from Africa.