Kwik Sew used to be such a prolific activewear pattern company and when I first started making moisture wicking knit activewear I used a lot of their patterns. Now they seem to focus primarily on regular clothes and I miss the old days! But that doesn’t mean I can’t bring out some of my older Kwik Sew patterns for a spin once in a while, such as this old one labled 3567.
Since it is currently winter in Sweden and I’m training for a half-marathon in May I need more outdoor exercise clothes. Running longer distances on a thread-mill kind of drains your soul and running outside when it’s cold (but not too cold) and snowing can actually be a reinvigorating experience for me.
Long story short, I needed more mid-layer workout tops and in my humble opinion, a lighter wool knit is superior to any other material for this purpose. Luckily I had some wool rib left from some previous projects, so I decided to sew up a simple top with no bells and whistles since I needed the top promptly. I added cuffs with thumbholes (described in my book Sewing Activewear) and also waist ribbing since this wool rib is a nightmare to hem in a pristine manner.
The side seams are sewn with the 3-thread flatlock hem and I used woolly nylon in the upper looper (the thread that is visible on the outside). Getting the 3-thread to lie flat can be tricky, but I have done a tutorial on how to perfect the 3-thread flatlock and on fabrics like wool and cotton a little low-heat pressing with the iron can improve the result too.
As for the pattern, well it is a great base pattern if you want to make a top with side panels to avoid any chafing side seams. As always with Kwik-Sew patterns, the pieces go together beautifully, they draft knit patterns very well! My only quibble is that since the pattern is old the fit feels a tad bit dated, especially around the sleeve area that I think is too wide. I went down to a XS which is a size lower than my real measurements, but the top is still a bit roomy around the sleeves. That said, I love how it turned out and it has serviced me well the last few weeks when the weather has been sub-zero for several days.
Are you a Kwik Sew fan too? Or is this a company that is not on your radar at all?
