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Made by me / Sewing activewear

Kwik Sew 3567 wool top

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?

 

8 Comments

  • PsychicSewerKathleen
    January 23, 2018 at 3:34 pm

    Yes I am a Kwik Sew fan! I made up one of their patterns recently (I forget which one it was) and really liked the fit and the ease in which the pattern went together. I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment AND of course I love your new top! How nice it is to be able to make your very own workout clothes that fit you perfectly, and are made out of fabrics you like. So much of RTW workout clothes are made of manmade fabrics that I don’t care for – they pill, feel scratchy and hot against the skin. Give me a natural fiber any day even though it tends to get baggier and needs to be hung to dry so requiring a little more care. I put on my 100% cotton SOFT leggings and they feel SO good 🙂

    Reply
    • Johanna
      January 24, 2018 at 9:50 am

      I agree about the feel of natural fibers vs man-made, even though the feel man-made fibers have improved a lot over the year, natural just feels better on the body. Cool to hear that you are a Kwik Sew fan too, I do wish they would go back to their roots more and become more prolific again.

      Reply
  • Jamie
    January 23, 2018 at 4:33 pm

    I USED to be a Kwik Sew fan, but then they got bought out by Butterick/McCalls/Vogue and turned into more of a crafting pattern line? Plus their block switched to the same as BMV so now I find the few garments they do produce don’t fit as well. Bummer. There are many great patterns from before the switch still in print though, like this one.

    Reply
    • Johanna
      January 24, 2018 at 9:52 am

      Thank you for your insight, that explains why I’ve felt that Kwik-Sew has lost their ways in recent years. It feels like they have disappeared in the mix of so many other pattern companies, instead of focusing of well drafted, great basic everyday wear that are in line with the trends, but not too trendy

      Reply
  • Sew Old Fashioned
    January 24, 2018 at 6:24 am

    Love the colour of contrasting rib bands – that’s a very cheerful pop of brightness in the middle of Winter. 🙂

    I have quite a few Kwik Sew patterns from the 1970s and 1980s, although I haven’t used any yet. Hopefully that will change soon – I’m about to sew a raglan sleeved t-shirt from a Kwik Sew pattern after I finish my current projects.

    Reply
    • Johanna
      January 24, 2018 at 9:55 am

      Thank you! Cool to hear that you got some vintage Kwik Sew patterns, I have not tried those, my oldest are from the 90’s. Hope you find them as good as I have, they usually are so well drafted and easy to sew in a way that makes sense for us home sewists.

      Reply
  • Mimi
    January 28, 2018 at 6:37 am

    Any other specific patterns you like? I got this one based on your blog post and reviews on PatternReview.com. Excited to try it with wool knit I got!

    Reply
  • Leslie Hanes
    April 18, 2018 at 10:40 pm

    I have made this so many times I’ve lost count,. Yesterday I made one from Polartec Power Wool. Too bad I can’t post a picture here. Turned out beautiful.

    Reply

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