Because I wasn't happy with my first cardigan, I searched for a suitable replacement. First I traced the Jalie Cocoon cardi, but didn't have enough fabric. Then I traced the Jalie Drop Pocket cardi, but decided against it for a reason that I cannot remember.
Finally I settled on the Jalie (I detect a theme) Pleated cardigan and couldn't be happier! I owe a lot of my squeeeeeee to the fabric as it has the *perfect* drape for this pattern.
Fabric & Notions:
- 2.5 yards of medium-heavy cotton knit
- strips of muslin selvedge to stabilize the shoulder seams
- 80/12 stretch needle for seams; serger to finish seams together
Size & Fit/Alterations: I used a straight size Z (according to my full bust measurement) and no FBA. This is my size for bodices using Jalie patterns. The only drawback is that the shoulder seams are usually too long, which is an easy fix.
Either I have freakishly short arms, or Jalie drafts for people with freakishly long arms. I removed 2" from the sleeves and could probably remove another inch or two. In their defense, the knit I used has really awesome drape and pulls everything down.
I also removed three inches in the bodice length.
The Fabric: I bought this fabric from that fabric store which shall not be named and immediately questioned my purchase. The content was supposed to be 90-something % cotton and the rest Lycra, but it was shiny and felt synthetic. When I did a burn test, it proved to be pure cotton. Hmm.
I'm glad I kept it because it proved to work perfectly with this pattern. I have another piece in gray that I will probably use to make a second version.
Construction: I sewed the seams on my machine first and then serged them together. I used a 3.0 straight stitch for both the seams and the tucks. The stitches appeared to 'get lost' in the fabric; lengthening the stitch solved this problem.
Conclusion: Love!
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This is another garment in my Starting from Scratch wardrobe-building plan. Here's my progress so far:
Step 1: nice pair of pants
I made Kwik Sew 2960 in black rayon-poly-Lycra.
Step 2: shoes
I have a pair of black semi-comfortable loafers. I can get about four hours of wear out of them before I have a fit. Needless to say, I need a better option.
Step 3: cardigan and tee
The cardigan is done; I still need the tee shirt. I had two major failures in this part. Who would have thought fitting a tee shirt could be so difficult?
Step 4: jeans and a shirt
Jeans were made in April and blogged here. I'm dragging my feet on making the white button-down shirt because...it's white. I haven't figured out what to use to mark the fabric. Plus, my serger is covered in dark-colored lint and fuzz. Gotta clean that first before I sew anything white.
Step 5: accessories round 1
I have scarves with my colors: teal, yellow, white, black. I also have an Olivia Pope-inspired black purse. I'll fill in more accessories later in process.
Step 6: accent color tops and scarf
Step 7: base in the second neutral
In this step, we are to include a pair pants, cardigan, and shoes in the second neutral. I made two versions of Kwik Sew 2960 in solid dark grey and dark grey herringbone and have a pair of grey flats. I still need the cardigan.
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That's it! There is a point in the steps where all of the possible combinations are pictured. Once I've completed the missing items, I'll create a collage and post an update.
More information on Starting from Scratch can be found here: The Vivienne Files. NAYY - just a fan of her wardrobe plans.
Until next time, peace!
