Two Paper Theory LB Pullovers

The LB Pullover by Paper Theory patterns has been on my to-sew list for quite some time (you may remember it from my New Year’s Resewlutions list!). One of the main things that drew me to the pattern was that it could be made in both knits and wovens- and in this post, I’ll be sharing one of each!

I made my first LB Pullover out of a rather expensive Albstoffe french terry. I spent more than I normally would on this fabric because 1: the print is unusual and amazing, and 2: Albstoffe is probably the closest you can get to a sustainable cotton fabric (without buying one secondhand or deadstock, that is).

This fabric was lovely to work with and definitely feels high quality. However, the colours have faded a little from only one or two washes, which is a bit annoying given the price.

I made a size 6 with no adjustments, and I think it fits perfectly! The sleeves and body were both exactly the right length for me, and overall it has the perfect balance of a boxy silhouette without swamping me.

I was expecting to have to make a forward shoulder adjustment, as dropped shoulder tops normally slip backwards on me, but the shoulder seam actually sits in the right place! This makes me feel more confident to try the Zadie jumpsuit from the same designer (which has similar grown-on/dropped shoulder sleeves) as I don’t have to worry about the sleeve style creating fit issues.

Now onto pullover no. 2, in a lightweight linen:

For this version I made the funnel neck view, which is actually what made me want to buy the pattern in the first place; I love my funnel neck Coco dress and wanted a looser fitting version.

I ended up folding the funnel neck down so it’s half the height it’s supposed to be; the unfolded neck just felt too tall and stuck out in a weird way. Also, the foundation on my chin kept transferring onto it; not a good look on black fabric!

I was expecting the top to fit differently in a woven fabric, or to feel more restrictive, but there honestly isn’t that much difference. It is a bit of a challenge to get the neckline over my head without wiping my makeup all over it, but other than that it’s exceptionally comfortable!

Now onto the only thing I disliked about the pattern; the instructions. Describing them as brief would be a bit of an understatement, especially given the pattern is aimed at ‘absolute beginners’. If it wasn’t for this ability rating I wouldn’t mind the limited instructions, as most sewists who’ve made a couple of garments could easily construct a top as simple as this one without much help. There weren’t any mistakes or anything, just a few things like not saying to finish the seam allowances, the hem instructions literally just saying ‘press up hem and sew’, which could throw off an absolute beginner. It just feels like a missed opportunity, because if the instructions were better this pattern would be the perfect first garment for a beginner!

However, the brief instructions didn’t have any negative impact on my own sewing experience, because it’s such a simple pattern (It really only has about three sets of seams and then you’re done!) I only glanced at the instructions a few times, and that was mainly to check the seam allowance (which is 1cm by the way).

I’m so happy with these tops, and I think I’ve found a new staple pattern!