Ballet Sweater by Heidi & Finn

Today we have an adorable little number for you.  This may in fact be one of the most versatile patterns you could ever make for the little girls in your life.   It is called the Ballet Sweater by Heidi &Finn, and while perfect for all the ballerinas you know, it is also the perfect layering piece for the holiday season that is upon us!  Hold on to your seats, because we have to MOST adorable pictures coming up from our reviewers Becca and Crystal.  I think I am going to make one for my own baby girl to wear with her Christmas dress, and I think this would be perfect paired with the new Amaryllis dress by Pattern Anthology!

Heidi&Finn are offering an AWESOME prize - A five pack bundle of patterns for one of our readers to win!!!!!  Read all the way to the bottom and enter to win! 

  • This review was completed by a 3rd party objective reviewer who received a complimentary copy of the pattern in order to complete the review. Neither Pattern Revolution nor the reviewer received any additional compensation for this review.

 


Who here has seen a Toddler attempt ballet? 

This about sums it up! Girl's got moves like Jagger (whatever that means)

My 2 year old just started ballet,  and while I'm sure this sewing momma'll add plenty of tu-tus and glittery costumes to her dance wardrobe, I thought I'd start her off with something a little more practical and season-appropriate. Perhaps.. a ballet sweater? (Or 3.)

You might recall, I'm relatively new to knits. But after my successful attempt at the Heidi & Finn Slouchy Cardigan, I knew I could tackle another knit pattern under their expert instruction! 

Yeah. I think it turned out OK.

Hands-down, this is one of the fastest, easiest, well written patterns I've worked with to date! AND it's cute-to-boot. (...err..slipper?) But, since this is a review, let's start with the Con list: 

Sizing Chart:

My version didn't have one. Which is a bummer, especially when your child defies standard sizing. True to their promise, though, the designer was available to answer my questions on the matter and provided me a sizing guide upon request. She's currently updating her older patterns to include size charts, so hopefully they'll be IN the pattern, soon! 

This is the 18M size. It's a little roomy, but I like leaving a little room to grow!

Well. That was a short list! Onto the Pros: 

It's Fast

Seriously, I made three of these the day I got it. I have the common-sense construction of the design, and the well-written instructions to thank for that! PLUS, this designer goes the extra step to ANTICIPATE my goof-ups and save me even MORE time!

"...how?"

As a beginner to knits, I've lost time (and fabric - ARG!) cutting my fabric without consideration for the direction of the stretch of the material. H&F marks right on (yes, on!) the pattern pieces which way they should be cut, so I don't have to worry about that anymore! Convenient, no?? High & Five, Heidi & Finn!

It's Versatile 

Don't have a dancer to dress? No problem! I've paired this same pattern with a sleeveless dress for a Holiday-appropriate look:

"This year I'm Thankful for..." the 11 years I've got before this girl hits teen-dom. Just look at that sass already! 

Drama, Drama, Drama...

It's Easy to Customize

Those ties? They're all for show. If you don't like 'em, or need to save yourself more time, just leave them off! Or, if you're feeling extra girly, add a ruffle! I did for this casual look:

I'm sure I don't have to repeat this last point, but I will for good measure:

It's ADORABLE. 

I mean, really.  

What are you still doing here?? Go sew up some crop sweaters! 

Happy Sewing!


Becca DuVal is a lifestyle photographer based outside of Richmond, Virginia. She juggles life with two kids, two rescue dogs, and her super-fine husband. She's a hard-core DIY-er who loves sewing, crafting, and tackling home decor projects far outside her skill level. 

Blog | Facebook | Twitter Instagram | Email: becca@beccaduvalphotography.com

Hi, I'm Crystal from Stitched by Crystal!  I am thrilled to be here today to share my review of the Ballet Sweater by Heidi & Finn!
I normally like to take a couple of weeks break after all the Halloween sewing madness before I dive into my holiday sewing.  But when I got the chance to sew this sweater for review, I just had to start my holiday sewing early!  I used a red knit for the sweater and some red satin for the ties for a bit of holiday shine.  Paired with her jeans and the sparkly gold shes she simply couldn't leave Old Navy without, my daughter has a perfect casual holiday outfit.
This sweater is a super quick sew, I finished this size 18 months in under an hour.  The instructions are easy to follow and there are tons of great photos for every step in the pattern too.
The pattern has only three pattern pieces and four pages to print (I love that!).  There are also a few rectangle shaped pieces to cut and the measurements are given in the pattern.
The size 18 months fits my 16 month old daughter great with a little extra room to grow.  I am hoping this sweater will still fit her when she is old enough to start ballet, it would look so cute with a leotard and tights!
My only complaint is that the pattern does not have a chart telling you how much fabric you need for each size.  The pattern only has one suggested fabric measurement for all the sizes, which was way too much fabric for this sweater.   It calls for 3/4 yard for the sweater, 1/2 yard for the binding, and more fabric for the ties.  I bought 1/2 yard of knit and used it for the sweater and the binding with extra to spare, I also bought 1/8 yard of the satin for the ties. But better to have too much fabric than not enough, right!
This is a great pattern and would make an awesome addition to your holiday sewing!