Briar. And Anita.

You know one of the things I most love about having some real life sewing friends (apart from having awesome friends)? I can try on their sewn garments to (a) see if they look good on me and (b) check the fit.

This is what I did when I went over Anna's a few weekends ago and she was wearing her Megan Nielson Briar top. Readers, I cannot lie. I nearly ripped it off Anna's back. But I thought that would be rude so I politely waited until we were combing through her amazing wardrobe and calmly tried it on instead.

Luckily for me, it fit like a complete dream, simply needing 2cm added to the length of the front. So I made myself the size L with the added length, and ended up with a beautifully warm jumper:

See my cute green beads from yesterday? Little M wore her pink and purple ones out today too and we had quite a few comments about Mummy & Me matching outfits. Not sure how I feel about that!

This Briar is made from a Merino wool knit - quite a thick one - from The Fabric Store on Brunswick St. Luckily this pattern doesn't need much fabric, because I got sucked in to the tune of $38/m. But I have to say - this is THE most lusciously warm knit - I wore it out tonight for dinner and didn't wear a coat, despite it being coat weather. 

What can I say about this pattern? It comes together like a dream. I LOVE the way the neckline binding is attached (sorry, I forgot to get a close-up sans scarf). It just looks so professional. The merino was also a dream to sew. Despite some initial hesitation, I also really love the high-low hem. I think it is a cool way to layer. I'm not sure I'd wear the Briar without another layer underneath. After having my appendix out and giving birth, my tummy muscles are not as tiiiiight as I'd like them to be. So no midriff peeks from me. 

I also have to report that I have made another (two!) pair of Anita Ponti Pants. My previous Bleach Boys pair gets a serious workout, so I bought some extremely thick black ponti from Tessuti. I originally made this ponti into a pair of Style Arc Sailor Sue Palazzo Pants and the ponti was such a bad fabric choice that I refashioned them into these Anitas. I sized down for this pair too - really sized down. I would estimate these are at least a size 6 in the waist and leg - possibly smaller. I started with my size 10 but the first time I wore them spent the day hoiking them up. So I unpicked the waist and the hems and made them a lot smaller.

This Briar and a pair of Anita Pants has been my go-to outfit over the last while. I love the combo, and it keeps me super warm on these horrible chilly Melbourne days we've been having (although the last two days have been beautifully sunny). I love the outfit so much that I have made another Briar and another pair of printed Anitas that I will show you soon.

So - what is your take on the Briar? Are you a fan of the high-low hem?