Paprika Jasper Sweater

Well, I got back from holiday last weekend feeling very much like this sunshine –

But by Saturday I was feeling much closer to this

The Management caught the well known ‘aeroplane cold’ which he promptly passed on to me. I have been feeling pretty gruesome since Saturday and think I have a few days of being kind to myself left before I jump properly back into life. I’m sure a good nights sleep in the spare bed will sort me out (along with a ‘hot toddy’ – whisky, honey and hot water for the uninitiated). I’m starting to fret about not being able to swim but I think I have factored enough ‘snafu’ time into the calculations.

However, before I checked out with the world I did manage to complete the Paprika Patterns Jasper sweater dress I had planned. I like to make the first project after getting home from a holiday something relatively simple to ‘get back into the swing’ and this seemed perfect. The pattern was bought right at the start of September in the Indie pattern bundle and so far it is the only one I have done anything with despite some of the others being really appealing.

There were a lot of sheets printed for the pattern – I don’t remember having a larger number to tape together but that may just be my diminished mental state. Despite that it was easy to tape together BUT there is a void in the taping where there would have been an unprinted sheet in the mix. It may have been that my printer was being clever and not putting the sheet in there, or I may have just outsorted it without thinking. Anyway, if you are about to make this up you are fore warned. There is a copy shop option provided if you prefer to do that.

I bought the navy sweatshirting fabric from Minerva Crafts before I went on holiday and had already washed and tumble dried it to preshrink. This is listed as a clearance fabric but is still in stock today. It is a lovely soft fabric, but with enough body to make it just right for this style. It did shed what seemed like a scary amount of fluff in the drier but is still very cozy.

Front view

Back view

The pattern is listed as a two out of three circle(?) sewing level – mid range I suppose – it does have single welt pockets and that glorious hood. Don’t let them scare you. The instructions are backed up with online tutorials if you aren’t understanding the written instructions, and the results are worth the effort. I finished this on Friday (just after I knocked the iron off the board – it was switched off thankfully – and killed it) and took one lot of photographs which were all rubbish. I repeated the exercise with Bessie modeling this morning as blogland really doesn’t need to be aware of just how gruesome  I look at the moment.

The kangaroo pocket is wonderful for stuffing cold hands into, and even though it looks really stupid wearing it indoors the hood is lovely. I seem to remember someone describing the hood as being ‘monastic’ and I can kind of get that (sorry, I can’t remember who at the moment). The button detail is nice but I decided not to make too much of it on this version as I wanted something casual and understated. The princess seams give a bit more shape than might be expected of a sweatshirt which is great and gives extra options for adjustment.

Will I be making this again? You betcha. Maybe the dress length version next time…..

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