Last week I reviewed the Waves and Wild Explorer Raglan which is a t-shirt pattern predominantly for use with light to medium weight stretch fabrics like cotton lycra. The Adventurer Raglan is the other raglan pattern in the Waves and Wild collection. This is a jumper pattern designed to be made with heavier weight stretch fabrics like sweatshirt or French Terry. I’ve again made a lot of these up for my daughter and also use this pattern quite a bit for my Etsy store. If you want to find out why I like it so much, keep reading.
What I Loved
- The new Waves and Wild patterns are trimless and very easy to put together.
- The instructions are really clear and easy to follow. A diagram is included for each step.
- Layers are available in the PDF file so you only need to print your size. A size chart is also included to help you determine this.
- The Waves and Wild version of this pattern comes with a print at home copy, an A0 copy for copy-shop printing, and a projector pattern.
- The pattern comes with four different neck options – the regular round neck (which I made for this review), split collar button neck, single button neck, and double button neck – the latter is ideal for the baby sizes.
- There’s an option to add a through pocket.
- While using a different fabric for the arms creates the traditional raglan look, this pattern can be made all in one fabric. I often do this when I want to make a simple jumper because I find it quicker than sewing in traditional sleeves.
- While an overlocker creates a professional finish, this pattern can be made using just a sewing machine.
What Wasn’t So Great
- I wish the neckband could be made with the same material as the body instead of ribbing (in the same way that you can do this with the Brindille and Twig Lounge Sweatshirt) – it would make it a lot quicker to sew, and I like the matching look too.
Pattern Tips
- Like with the Explorer Raglan, make sure you line the sleeves up correctly before sewing. The front and the back pieces look very similar and it’s easy to sew the sleeves on backwards if you’re not careful.
- Make sure you cut the correct lines out on the pattern if doing the split or button collars.
- Interfacing is vital if you’re inserting buttons.
Final Verdict
I love the Waves and Wild Adventurer Raglan pattern. It’s a great unisex design and has a number of different neck options to make it suitable for babies, toddlers and older children. As mentioned above, I’ll often reach for this pattern instead of one with ‘set in’ sleeves when I need something quick to sew. Plus, as it doesn’t need hemming, the whole thing can be made on my overlocker within a matter of minutes.
The Waves and Wild Adventurer Raglan pattern advises using a medium weight stretch fabric such as French Terry or sweatshirt fleece. Ribbing is required for the neckband, and you may also require buttons/snaps and interfacing depending on the neck option you choose. The PDF can be purchased from the Waves and Wild website for AUD $12.00 and is available in sizes premature to age 12.
