My blood has thinned after 15 years in the southern U.S. and I now wear sweaters when it’s 12C. Which means I now sew proper sweaters, not just cardigans to stop the chill of the a/c.
The Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater is widely reviewed and an Instagram favourite. Leigh at Topstitch Studio & Lounge convinced me I would like it so I decided to give it a try. I wasn’t sure if it would suit me, so for a first effort, I went with an inexpensive double knit from Fabric Mart Fabrics.
There isn’t a lot to say about this pattern except this.
It’s easy. It goes together quickly, and well!
I made the version with the polo neck and raglan sleeves (version #1) specifically because I didn’t want the pain of altering a pattern. Raglan sleeves mean no shoulder adjustments.
All of the seams were stitched on the overlocker. The instructions recommend topstitching as seams are finished so I threaded up the cover stitch and finished everything with a 2-needle cover stitch.
And that is it! Ten, that’s right folks – ten seams. And using the overlocker means the interior looks great.
Oh. So. Easy. And so wearable!
This black speckled fabric is not designed for truly cold weather, however, it’s the right weight for the climate here. It has a smidge too little stretch which does not impact its wearability.
I liked it so much in the black speckled double-knit that I made another in a double-sided ponte from JoAnn. This is an odd fabric – the exterior feels much like a sweatshirt, while the interior has a completely different texture. I only had a scant 1 1/2 yards of the fabric and it calls for 2 yards so I had to get creative with my cutting. That meant fudging things like cutting the bottom band on the cross grain and cutting the neckband in two pieces then placing neck seams at the sides. But it all turned out fine!
Janine Sews 
I LOVE YOUR TOASTER SWEATER! I had been wanting one, too, and made one in December in turquoise interlock knit. I LOVE it! Lucky you, you have two of them. My interlock knit wasn’t the best fabric for the stand-up collar. It doesn’t stand up as well as I would like, but it still okay. I had never sewn a knit fabric before and I wanted to use something easy. Enjoy your yummy Toaster sweaters.
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Thank you, Jeanette! Turquoise sounds great- especially for winter. Will you make another?
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Thank you! I think this would be cute with a collar that is a bit drapey. Sometimes that’s even more comfortable than stand up collars. Knits are easier than I expected. Did you enjoy sewing with them?
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I like this! It’s been on my wishlist for a while! I was going to buy the Simplicity version last time they were on sale at JoAnn but it was sold out! I’ll keep trying!
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Definitely keep trying! It’s a great casual wardrobe staple & would really work for your busy life!
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Thanks!! I also really want the Tabor V neck – my friend turned up to a local sewing meet wearing hers and I became obsessed!
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You look really good in your toaster Jeanette. The fit is perfect for you. I get too hot to wear a sweater, even in winter, but would consider making an interlock cotton version.
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Hi Janine. I started reading your blogs over the winter. We’ve (my fiend and I) have tossed around buying this pattern. After seeing yours sewn up and modeled I think I’ll pick it up next time I’m in a store that carries it. Seen it in Spool & Spindle in Waterloo Ontario. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Cheryl
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Hi Cheryl! Thank you for reading my blog, and for commenting! If I was still in Canada I’d have a wardrobe full of these. 🙂
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