Sofia is a classic shawl collar sweater pattern from Sinclair. It has recently been expanded to Size 30. Today, the kids version, Sofberry, has just been released.
For the women version, you can make it in the classic shawl collar, or a bow tie with a modesty panel. You have options to make long, 3/4, or short sleeves. You can add a band or just use regular hem. Same goes with the cuff options for the long or short sleeves.
For the kids version, you have the regular top version which looks great on both girls and boys. There’s also a longer tunic version. Besides the standard and bow tie collars, there’s also a wide shawl collar option which is my favorite.
The design
If you have other Sinclair knits tops, this one’s base fit is similar. It’s fitted around the bust and semi fitted around the waist and hips. You get 3 sleeve lengths with Sofia. The cuffs option is provided for the long version and the short versions only. 3/4 sleeves can only be hemmed. The bottom band is for decorating which I used on the kids version.
I would describe Sofia as a classic shawl collar pullover. It’s classic so it never goes out of style. You can use a wide variety of fabric to make it in different styles. I used some soft rayon fabric to make my own, matched with a pastel color bow collar. It feels flowy and feminine. For my daughter’s version, I used thicker Polartec PowerStretchPro paired with lightweight contrast collar. The band and cuffs make it look like a sweater shirt. I made the tunic length here. There’s a shorter version too which is a standard top.
Embroidery on the garment
I added the latest Anita Goodesign Word Ribbon embroidery to match the collar’s color. I stitched the pattern before I sew the front piece with the back. This makes it easier to hoop. But you can embroider on existing garment too. You need to float your t-shirt, or use a multi-needle machine. The smaller the embroidery pattern, the easier.
I used some no show mesh stabilizer here. The back of the Sofberry has another embroidery and it’s a drawing by my daughter, digitized and embroidered.
The construction
It was an easy afternoon sew. And once you’ve done it once, it’s super easy to make a second one. Thanks to Oxana’s precise pattern, as well as the forgiveness of knit fabrics, you can always make the collar correct with patience. One thing to notice is, you want to overlap the two ends of the collar piece in a way that the crossing point would match the front piece’s opening corner, excluding the seam allowance. I didn’t realize that before my basting. I tried to match the two ends so after turning to the right side, they overlap end to end. Wrong. The top one should only overlap with the bottom one minus the seam allowance. That way the three lines can cross after it’s all done. But don’t worry about it if you don’t have a clue. It’s hardly noticeable. If you are super picky, consider making the bow version – there’s actually less requirements here. You can’t really go wrong with the alignments here.
Summary
The Sofberry gets a solid 5/5 here. Did I mention it’s suitable for both boys and girls? I like this kind of clothes. You don’t need to explain to your son why it’s only made for his sister. I like how simple it is, but with options to look different. The wide open front is great for embroidery. Or you can choose the bow tie option to add color and balance to the front.
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