Who else gets super excited for their new sewing magazines to release? The latest FibreMood magazine and all the yummy patterns they have put out for the fall season have just been released and I was fortunate enough to be able to test out one of these patterns. I’m happy to say, it’s pure love for the FibreMood Lexi. Here’s my look at the Lexi pattern now available from Fibre Mood magazine.
As usual I couldn’t leave well enough alone and I had to hack this pattern. Even though it is super cute as a sweatshirt dress, I really thought that I would get more every day use out of a sweatshirt length. Well, if I’m being super honest, I started out at a tunic length thinking I wanted that, but when I tried it on I decided to cut it even shorter. And I’m super happy that I did! Here is what I did to change up my Lexi and what I want tell you about this cool new pattern.
Topstitching on the Lexi Pattern
One thing to note on this pattern is the cute top stitching details. Now if you’re thinking, Shannon, I do not want that much top stitching… it’s entirely too likely for me to mess up. Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered in a quick Instagram video highlighting how to do the top stitching. You can find that video with tips for great top stitching here.
Color Blocking
Another thing I like about this pattern is the option to color block. I decided to pair green and gray for some fabulous neutrals for the fall. This top can be thrown on quickly with jeans and tennis shoes for a comfy, casual look and I am excited to have this added to my wardrobe. In order to change the Lexi Dress pattern to this colorblocked sweatshirt length, I made a couple adjustments to the pattern.
Pattern Adjustments
I followed the pattern for everything except for the length and the band at the bottom. Instead of cutting the dress length, I originally cut a tunic length. To do that without losing the slight cocoon shaping, I cut a line across the pattern somewhat near the hip line. I then moved the bottom piece up to the length I wanted to shorten the pattern. When I tried it on, I didn’t love the tunic length. So I decided to keep shortening and moving the bottom piece up. I decided I wanted the color block to run across from the sleeves through the hem line of the sweatshirt. So, to do this I simply cut my bodice fabric 3/8 inches longer than where the sleeve was hitting during construction (2nd picture shows how much I ended up taking off from the tunic length.) That way when I sewed on my hemband I knew it would line up with the sleeves. I’m really happy with the way this turned out and keeps the color block going all the way across the top.
In order to create the bottom hem band, I simply took the bottom that I cut off from my pattern and used it as a template to follow the shape and the width of the sweatshirt. I matched the length of my new hem band to be the same as the sleeves, so that they all look uniform going across the top. Topstitching was added to the hemband in the same way I added it on the sleeves. I think that helps it all flow together. I’m super happy with the way it turned out and it allowed me to use the gray fabric (which did not have much stretch) for a big part of the the sweatshirt while allowing the green french terry with more stretch to be used where it was needed (the neck band and hem band especially).
The sweatshirt is fun to wear, slightly oversized and can easily be layered with other things underneath. The sleeves are a bit wider than I prefer and are intentionally loose, but you could tighten those up slightly by the arms to get a more fitted look. Overall I think it’s a really cute and relaxed style and I’m excited to see all the many different Lexis that people sewed up from this month’s magazine. If you’d like a copy of this pattern or the entire magazine you can find them here. If you are in the US and order a copy of the magazine, it does take a bit of time to arrive but you won’t be disappointed. The magazine is very well put together and I think you’ll be quite pleased. I hope you enjoyed a look at the latest Lexi Pattern from Fibre Mood.
If you enjoyed this pattern, you may enjoy my last pattern review from the magazine released this summer. You can find that blog post here.
Until next time,
Happy Sewing
About 18 years ago I decided to teach myself how to sew. Long before blogs and resources available today which meant it was often disastrous. But I never gave up because I loved it so much. Today I love helping others get started on their own sewing journey. You can read more about my family and I