HACK || Origami Sweater Bottom Band with V-detail || By Wilma

February 20, 2021 1 Comment

When we posted a call for bloggers a while back - or hackers in this case - I was immediately intrigued by Wilma's pitch: a bottom band with a V-shaped detail, matching the V colorblock of the Origami Sweater. The Origami Sweater isn't the easiest pattern to hack, there's already a lot going on! But this subtle idea totally inspired me and that is what hacking is all about! And knowing Wilma's aesthetic and impeccable craftsmanship, I had no doubt this hack would turn out to be fabulous! In this blogpost, Wilma explains how she adjusted the bottom band to add this fun V-detail!

You can find more inspiring makes by Wilma on her instagram profile @bywils!

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I am Wilma! 

Welcome to my first blog ever!  

 
So let me start with a short introduction. My name is Wilma, I am married to Willem-Jan. Both of us, Wils in short. I am a mum of three and work as a psychologist. To keep myself sane, I sew. 
 
When Elles posted a request for bloggers I knew I wanted to participate. Simply because I love all her patterns. I made almost every pattern, also more than once! With and without hacking them. The origami, I made only once, until now. And that’s the pattern that came to mind.  
 

Origami Hack idea 

For a small hack, this time. I must confess, this pattern was a bit intimidating to me at first.  But hey, it’s designed by Misusu and that means there’s a great and detailed tutorial. Which makes every difference!  A few years back I gave it a first try. My sewing skills were nowhere near where they are today and I made it through. So don’t be discouraged and just start. 

 

For this blogpost I hacked the pattern by adding a small alteration. I love the collar of the origami and by adding a similar V-shape to the bottom band, the collar stands out even more. My new-years resolution was to pay more attention to detail. Hope you’ll like it! 
 
Let’s get started… 
Supplies!! 

• Origami Sweater pattern  
• You’ll need the supplies mentioned in the tutorial. 
• And a few scraps, not even extra scraps, leftovers from cutting the pattern will be more than enough! 

  
Sewing the Sweater 

You can put the sweater together by following the steps of the tutorial all the way until the bottom band. The collar is the tricky part. Just follow the helpful tips and you’ll be fine. I do recommend adding guide lines for the seam allowances, especially at the corners, to make sure my V’s are sharp.

 

Of course I had to make it a bit harder for myself and chose a striped fabric. And you know what that means: stripes must match! When trying to match the stripes, it was easier to cut and sew the sleeves first - this way I could more easily see how to cut the shoulder pieces! 

 

Creating the V Piece   

Step 1 - Collect your bottom band pattern piece. The height of your V-piece should be the same as the bottom band (pattern piece 14). Also remember that the bottom band is folded later, so make sure to keep that in mind when creating your design! I made my piece 6cm (2 1/3") wide. Don’t draw through the seam allowance that is already included in the pattern piece. 

 

Step 2 - Add seam allowance to every part. Now you're ready to cut your fabric. 
 

 

 
Step 3 - Now we are going to put it together. Same way we did with the collar. This means mostly straight lines and only one extra V to sew. Start by sewing all the straight seams. Cut the excess bunny ears.

 

Step 4 - The V seam. Follow steps 4D-4H from the tutorial.  
 
 
 

Step 5 - You don’t need to bother finishing the seams. Since the bottom band will be folded and you are never gonna see the inside again. Just cut the lowest corner, that will make it easier to fold and avoids bulk fabric when folded. Be careful, don’t cut into your stitches. 

Sewing the bottom bandSubtract the width of your new v-piece from the bottom band, minus the seam allowance. In my case, 6cm (2 1/3"). Sew the extra piece in between. Press the seams open. Attach the bottom band by following the tutorial (step 10).

 

I added the extra piece right down de seam of the front panel. Be mindful of the seam allowance when matching these seams. Final ironing, admire your work and be proud! 

Finished! 
 
And there you go - a small tweak, but an upgrade to your sweater. 
And now all that’s left is patiently waiting for an adult version. Pretty please?! 
 

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We're working on it, Wilma! ;D

We absolutely love how this intricate bottom band with V-detail turned out! It perfectly matches the collar of the Origami Sweater, but you can apply this idea to any sweater! BIG THANK YOU Wilma! Are you interested to see more of Wilma's makes? Check out her instagram account: @bywils. And please tag us @misusupatterns and @bywils when you make your own bottom band with V detail!!

Happy sewing!

 

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