TGIF! Have you ever been wrong about a pattern? Like pleasantly surprised? That’s the Marlo Sweater for me.
I kept seeing it when it came out last year. And I was like no way. I can’t do the crop sweater look. And no way that this longer version would fit me either. And I was really wrong.
The Marlo Sweater is about a year old from the True Bias pattern collection. It’s a button down v-neck cardigan that comes in a crop look and a “grandpa” style too. It’s loose fitting throughout but it still takes a nice shape against the body.
One thing I will say that makes or breaks this pattern is the fabric choice. Respectfully all the versions I first saw were made of thin knit fabric and this sweater really works 1000 times better in a chunky fabric.
For my version I chose some left over chunky sweater knit from Telio that I had from a collab last year. They sent about 4 years and I used 2 of them for my Nikko dress last year. And with 2 yards left I used the rest on the Marlo.
It’s an easy sew. I would say that this pattern may be best for the intermediate sewer. You do have to attach the collar/button placket, bottom band and buttons which can be intimidating and frustrating if you’ve never done it. The directions let you know how to navigate these steps efficiently. The directions also give you the option to use your serger or zig zag stitch. I used my serger which made the inside pretty but also reduced a lot of bulk at the seams.
My biggest hurdle was probably adding the button holes. The fabric was SO thick that I ran into problems with the button hole maker on the machine recognizing that there was fabric. I tried the extra plate that comes with my button hole foot but that seemed to exacerbate the issue. So I actually put my interfacing on the underside of the front placket to help the foot move around the fabric. This honestly took the longest part. And then I hand sewed my buttons on because the buttons were really chunky. I was not willing to find out what would happen if I used that on my machine.
All in all, this sweater gets a 10/10 from me. I love that I can wear it casually or to work. I love that it has the buttons so I can unbutton it or wear a maxi underneath and still show off both pieces.
Until next time xoxo
RAVEN MAUREEN 