When I first made the I AM Zebre sweater* a few years ago knew I wanted to make a few more versions of this pattern again. Today I’ll share with you the changes I made to the original pattern for my second version.

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After making the first version (blogged about here*), I realised that the neckline is big enough for me to put it on/take it off without having to use the poppers on the shoulder. As a result, I’ve modified the pattern so that there is no opening. This has made it easier to construct as well, as you no longer need to be careful when it comes to the ends of the fabric. If you really like the look with the poppers you can always add them on top of the closed seam and make them a purely decorative feature.

My second, version of the I AM Zebre sweater* is made in Lady McElroy Ponte Roma Double Knit Fabric Teal* that was leftover from making Vogue 1635 (blogged about here). As I was working with leftover fabric, I did not have enough to cut the sleeves as wide as the original pattern calls for, so I had to compromise.

My adjustment to the sleeve was to remove 1 cm at the top of the vertical seam on the sleeve and 5 cm at the bottom. As the images above show I drew a vertical line down from the top to the bottom of the sleeve. This meant that I had less fabric to ease the sleeve cap into the armhole and less fabric to gather at the bottom.

I am really glad that I was not able to cut the original sleeve pattern for this version as the fabric is not very stretchy and I would have struggled to get all that gathering into the sleeve cuff. A word of caution: make sure that the fabric you use for the sleeve cuff is stretchy. I’m struggling to push my smartwatch under the cuff or push the cuff up my arm as there is practically no give. If you would like to know more about my thoughts about working with this fabric please check out my post on Minerva website here*.

Another change I made to the original pattern was to cut out of the hem band about 1-2 cm less, which meant that it’s a little more fitted and makes the finished garment look better for me.

I think I like the look of the less fuller sleeve better than the original, especially when using a thicker and less stretchy fabric such as Ponte Roma. What do you think? Which one looks better? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.