I love Linden! As you saw in my post last week, I’ve been on a tear making Grainline Studio’s Linden Sweatshirt and over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing about all the different versions I made.

I always, always make a muslin. Often, I’ll make tester garments for stretchy stuff out of actual muslin (to make sure that I don’t have too much negative ease on my hips causing tops to ride up), but I figured I would use up some scrap and test out finishing techniques.

I grabbed some grey and red jersey I had left over from the babywearing hoodie I made my husband earlier this year. I have a hard time throwing out scraps and generally keep even the tiniest pieces thinking that some day I will make bias tape or line a pocket with it. I’d been hoarding knits thinking I would make my own undies eventually, but I am so much more impressed with this top! It was satisfying to use up all that red and only have snippets to throw away.

I graded from a size 12 bust to a size 16 waist and hip as the pattern suggested. There was a good amount of ease and this sweater fit a good deal slouchier than I normally do, but I kind of like it. The hem band is loose at the hip making this top super cozy to layer over a workout tank and leggings.

The pattern suggests top stitching cuffs and bands to make sure the seam allowance stays where you want it, so I figured I would try it out with my new twin needle. I really liked the way it hemmed the tunic I made in the spring, but it rippled a fair bit on this fabric. I figured this had to do with tension, but, considering this was only a test garment, I didn’t bother trying to fix it. After a couple of washes (and a lot more wears), the waves have relaxed a bit and don’t look too bad. I figured, though, that the jersey was thin enough not to need it on future Lindens anyway.

Realizing how easy it was to cobble together a Linden with scraps, I dove into my scrap bag to see if I had enough of anything else to make even more than I had planned. Stay tuned for more on that!