• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Crafting and Sewing in Canada

Crafting and Sewing in Canada

I made it myself

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Canadian Resources
    • Online Fabric Stores in Canada
    • Bag Making Sources in Canada
    • Sublimation & HTV Sources in Canada
    • PDF Pattern Printers in Canada
  • About
    • About Me
    • Tuppence-a-Bag Gallery
    • Personal Glossary
  • My Dogs
  • Contact

Finlayson Sweater for Man

You are here: Home / Sewing Projects to Make / Sewing Clothes / Finlayson Sweater for Man

Originally posted: January 1, 2018

Thought I would do some man sewing.   I downloaded a beautiful .pdf pattern from Thread Theory called the Finlayson Sweater.  I really like their selection of men’s patterns.  The site, especially the photography, is just beautiful. The products and packaging all look clean and professional looking.  Of course they are Canadian.  I planned to make one sweater for Hub and maybe one for son too if he wanted, but I may go back for more of their patterns.

Hub in Finlayson sweater - view 1Preparing the Pattern

I found that right out of the gate, putting together the .pdf pattern pages was cumbersome even though I have done it quite a few times now with various other pattern designers.  I had to trim each page some on one side, some on two which added additional time and frustration to the process. Maybe it was because I tried an experiment to forego the glue and just use tape.  Never again.  Using a glue stick is the only way to remain sane. It did take me over 2 hours but to be fair I’m kinda meticulous and I was doing it while watching Scandal on Netflix.  So all that prep had to be done before any sewing started.

Sizing

Hub has a height of about 6’2″ and he carries a little extra weight around the middle. His dimensions don’t all fit into any one size for all measurements and I had just gone with the largest dimension that fit to try it out first. This is how we purchase ready-to-wear for him.

I cut out the size XL first, based on the largest measurements, with a very light-weight fabric I had on hand. Very glad I did because the pattern was great with tons of help resources, but the size I cut for him was way off when I tried it on him – the shoulders sagged, the stomach stretched tightly around his middle and the length was too short.  Not pretty.

There was no other choice – I had to “grade”.  I’d read a lot about the adjustments and thought it might be time to give it a try.

Adjustments

Hub in Finlayson sweater - view 2I cut a line on the front pattern piece down the middle (on the grain line) and another perpendicular to this and swung the side piece out through the middle.  It needed to be longer, so I then added 2 inches in length at the lengthening line shown on the pattern.  After re-taping the whole thing back together with extra paper I found the side that is cut on the fold was no longer straight.  I just forced a long straight edge there from collar opening to bottom.  Next, I added the additional length to the back piece as well, re-taped.  Ok, ready to cut the fabric.

Fabric Weight Again

The pattern calls for medium-weight fleece, and I found a really nice thick fleece at Fabricland that would be so nice and cozy as a sweater.  I asked the woman in the store if it was medium weight, but she just shrugged, looked at the fabric and said maybe.

So, again I feel like there is a disconnect between the online fabric and local buying – there doesn’t seem to be a common language.  So I’m not sure if it is considered medium-weight for the purposes of the pattern, but I like it.

The only major issue I had was that the material was so thick when going though all layers, that I couldn’t  fit it into my sewing machine with the presser foot adjusted all the way up. The serger luckily just plowed through it all like a trooper! I ended up doing all construction with the serger, Hub in Finlayson sweater - view 3which is probably for the best anyway.  I will have to be careful about considering the thickness of fleece in the future for sewing.

Putting it together

This is a really great pattern in my opinion!  It all came together easily and the fit was great.  There is a detailed sew-along at the thread theory blog too.  Hub loves it and I’m sure I’ll be making more for him.

We went out with family to a New Years Day Brunch and he wore it and got a lot of compliments.

 

Share on:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Sewing Clothes adjustment,  FBA,  finlayson,  fleece,  grading,  Hub,  thread theory

Reader Interactions

Share your thoughts on this post here:Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Resource Categories

Canadian Crafting and Sewing Resources (242)
— Bag Making Resources (30)
— Custom Labels (11)
— Online Fabric Stores (158)
— Pattern Designers (Canadian) (18)
— PDF Printers (12)
— Sublimation & HTV (57)
Pattern Designers (Int'l) (13)
Web & Tech Resources (1)

Blog by Month

Blog by Category

  • Crafts (9)
  • Cricut (10)
  • Dogs (15)
  • General (6)
  • Halloween Costume Series (9)
  • Opinions & Reviews (21)
  • Sewing Bags (19)
  • Sewing Clothes (22)
  • Sewing Projects to Make (18)
  • Sewing Then & Now Series (3)
  • Technology (6)

Blog Selections

Elastic

Where has all the Elastic Gone?

It would have been hard to predict the items that went out of stock early in the quarantine. Toilet

Alterations

I don’t do Alterations, but …

"Why, yes, I sew. But I don't do alterations." "Okay, but could you just...." ...move the

Easter Basket header

Make an Easter Basket with Reverse Appliqué

Basket and Appliqué Combo Project This project is a cute Easter or toy basket and includes a

violet femmes 2017

Girls Night Out in Purple- 2017

This is the third year that a group of us will attend the "Violette Femmes - Girls Night Out"

finlayson sweater header

Sew, Sew, Repeat

I have made no secret of the fact that I love the finlayson sweater pattern, but I figured I was

More Posts from this Category

Footer

Newsletter Sign-up

* indicates required

I will send you a simple newsletter every few months with a summary of changes to the Canadian resource lists and links to recent blog posts. Please check out past newsletters to see if this interests you.

View previous campaigns.

Copyright © 2023 Fran Wicks  Crafting and Sewing in Canada. 121-2420 Bank St. Ottawa, Ontario K1V 8S1