Brooklyn Top: Coziness and Comfort by Style Arc

A quick blog post for one of the nicest, quickest makes that I have made in a while.

This is the Brooklyn Top from Style Arc Patterns. A fun sweat top with a wonderful roll neck; a favourite of mine and perfect for snuggling up on a cool west coast evening.

Brooklyn is a fantastic pattern for beginning sewers or as a sewing cleanser for experienced sewists. The top itself has an extended drop-shoulder style that makes it roomy and great for layering. It has a folded waistband and cuffs that add a bit of detail but don't make the project too fussy. There is also the option of adding side pockets that are attached to the front bodice.

I made my Brooklyn with a thick poly fleece from my local fabric store. It is quite thick so I chose not to add the side pockets as I thought it would be too bulky. I made a size large through the shoulders and bust, graded to a size medium through the hips. I did not add any additional length to the top as I wanted it to hit mid-hip. The pattern is designed to be more of a tunic length so I would have had to add 4" for that particular style.

I added my prerequisite 4" to the sleeve length and also created an extra wide cuff to balance the large roll neck.

This will definitely become a go-to pattern for me. I love the way this style sews together. I used an overlocker for all of the seams. One hint I have for you if you are using a thicker fabric is to overlock the long edges of the cuff and the waistband together before pinning it to the main bodice of the top. It is much easier to sew everything together if there is an overlocked edge and the bodice edge to deal with rather than trying to catch 3 thick layers in your overlocker. Depending on the fabric you choose you could also add a double needle top stitch at the waist, neckline and cuffs for added detail.

My next Brooklyn will be made from a lighter-weight cotton French terry so that I can wear it during our summer months. It will be perfect for sitting by the campfire at sunset after a day out on the lake.

I highly recommend this fun, easy pattern.

After all.... there is Sew Much To Design.

Happy Sweatshirt Sewing,

Lou Sheffer