Time for a knit duster ...

Who can resist a fun unstructured duster when the weather turns cool...

Not I! I've spent hours in the past few weeks, just cruising duster patterns and lots of wonderful makes by sewists in the blogosphere.

Irresistible. I especially like the new Berlin Jacket by Tessuti and the Esme Maxi Cardigan by Named Clothing.

But I didn't particularly want to invest in a new pattern. Trawling through my stash, I pulled out an oldie but goodie, the Heading for Adventure coat by Louise Cutting.

I made it in linen way back in 2010, but it was very large on me, even thought I sewed the size Small. And the linen really bugged my skin - I never wore it.




Nonetheless, the design details are so appealing. I love the piecing and topstitching. And Cutting's techniques, which are beautifully articulated in the pattern instructions, are incredible.

 

It was a great starting place. But I wanted to go with the lines of the dusters I mentioned above - a softer neckline, an attached band, and slim-ish sleeves. And I wanted to use a knit fabric - a very lightweight rayon/spandex French terry that I purchased recently from Fabric.com. 

I was impatient to do all the re-drafting at one go, but I decided to be cautious. I actually sewed this in three steps. First, I cut out and sewed the entire coat from the Cutting pattern, using the size XSmall this time. And then I changed it, using the Jalie Cocoon Cardigan to redraw the neckline and draft an attached band, 

and the Grainline Studio Driftless Cardigan to alter the sleeves (I removed almost 6" from the width at the upper arm - the sleeve was voluminous). 

This sounds like a lot of tweaking, but it was not difficult, because the Cutting coat is all right angles. It was easy to lay it out and draw on it with chalk.

Time for pics (this gray is hard to photograph - it almost shimmers here. Squint, please)...

I love the back drawstring! It looks very similar to the back of the StyleArc Winsome Designer Dress (posted here), but the construction is not the same, due to the placement of other pieces in the back.

The patch pockets are very over-sized and long. Fun! 

I'm off to JoAnns now, to get supplies for Christmas gifts. And I have to remember to tell my kids to stay off my blog for a couple weeks :-) Check out this adorable cat house from SeeKateSew! My weekend project...

Hope everyone enjoys a safe weekend, with lots of sewing therapy time...bye for now, Coco

BurdaStyle 7184 waterfall cardi...

Well, there's nothing like just jumping in and sewing a muslin with corded velvet knit!

But it was only $1.80/yard - which makes this a $2.50 project :-)

I got the fabric from Fabric Mart two years ago, thinking of a midi-length sweater coat, something kind of boho. But I just couldn't settle on a patten. It has just been decorating my stash ever since. Rather nicely, I must say, since it doesn't wrinkle. It's been rolled, tossed, pulled out and thrown back in, and not a wrinkle in sight.

Finally, I took it out and gave it a real appraisal. I was going sew it or donate it - it was kind of bugging me that I would buy fabric and not use it.

Then I realized that it would make a great waterfall cardi - it's drapey, the color is really pretty, and it's light enough that I'll actually wear it in our winter months.



On to patterns. I made a cascade cardi from the Grainline Lark tee earlier this year, and it has a nice little funky vibe. But I wanted something with raglan sleeves, a higher start to the cascade, and very little else. Picky.

A search on the web turned up a gazillion variations on this style. It's a good thing I like to research patterns...

Finally - BurdaStyle 7184. It has clean lines:

Nice sleeves and cascade:

A clean-finish neckline and front edge:

And bonus pockets for those who can't live without them. It's also designed for knits!

I got the PDF version from SewingPatterns.com, which meant printing it from the sometimes finicky PrintSew site. But I today I found it on BurdaStyle as pattern 08/2011 #117D. Printing from the BurdaStyle site is so easy - wish I'd seen it there first!

Some sewing notes:

• I sewed size 12, View B, but only after some prodigious flat-measuring on the pattern. I could not find finished garment measurements anywhere, and I was torn between size 10 and size 12. Since I did all that work, I'll share. For reference, I'm 5'7", 36"-31"-42", and have an 11" upper arm.
  
  Finished garment measurements, in inches:                        10                       12

Width at bustline, waist, and hip from CF to CF                35 1/4                 37 1/4
Cascade width at bustline and waist, each side                 9 1/2                   9 1/2
Upper arm width                                                                13 7/8                 14 3/8
Sleeve width at hem                                                           8 1/2                    8 7/8
Back length from top of neckline with 5/8" hem                 32 3/4                  33

• I used a piece of cotton calico, cut on the bias, for the back neck facing. It adds a lot more stability than a piece of the knit fabric would have done. Also, I lowered it by 3/8" at center back, to remove a slight roll below the neckline.

• No pockets, because my fabric is just too stretchy for them. Maybe in another version...

• I used 5/8" seam allowances everywhere. This is one advantage of the PDF I used - it included seam allowances. The version available on BurdaStyle does not.

• I also used a 5/8" hem, which matches the front edges. The cardi would be a lot shorter with the suggested 1 3/8" hem allowance.

• One caution: the sleeves might be short on some people. My arms a not long, and I used a scant 1" hem. However - and this is amazing, not often seen - the sleeve has lengthen/shorten lines for both the upper/armscye area and the area below the armscye. 

My flash went off on the next pic - it's not really this shiny or this purply color! But it's the only back view I have. I love the way this lies in the back and across my shoulders, and I think a lot of credit goes to the two-piece sleeve. 

Great cardi, and worn with a new pair of Love Notions Sabrina Slims.

Ciao! Coco

Morris and Sabrina...

Or what to do with 5 yards of ponte de roma! I picked it up at a very good price at Fabric Mart earlier this year, thinking I would make a long cardigan for the change of seasons. But I've been on the fence about it. A long cardigan would be an almost zero-use item for me, wearable on maybe a few days in January or February. So it's been sitting in my stash, while I've been sewing down the fabrics around it. (I've been on a bit of a fabric fast for most of the year - my stash was getting out of hand. I will totally break out during the Black Friday - Cyber Monday sales!)

So, I decided to go with a second Boyfriend Cardigan as a compromise. Only one pic, because I just don't love it. I do have other plans for it - hopefully I won't re-cut and sew it down to nothing. 

A note here about my hair: it came up blonde in this and two more pics because I took them with the settings I had been using to photograph the moon. Clearly my camera still has the upper hand. I've become very vain about my gray hair - I love it!

With the cardigan behind me, I decided to make another Grainline Morris Blazer, but with a concession - I sewed it to the original drafting, with none of the little changes I made previously to the bottom edge. And I cut it with long sleeves, a simple change. I thought I might like it better than my two previous versions. It's such a cute jacket, and I've seen so many terrific makes of the pattern - the Grainline Flickr group is a lurkers heaven...

 Actually, this one's pretty nice. The fabric works really well, and the fit is spot on. On Emile, pending sleeves:

To keep the facings - neckline, front edges, and hem - nice and fluid, I used tricot knit lining for all my interfacing. The pattern suggests fusible tricot interfacing, but I did not want to risk 'freezing' the fabric, as fusibles often do. 

I hand-basted the interfacing/facing just outside the seam line and removed the basting once the facings were in place. I enjoy hand-sewing, so basting is right up my alley. I baste all the time!

I'm really happy with the result. By the way, as before, I top-stitched along the edge of the front facing. This seems to prevent the fabric drag, between the shoulder and bottom point, that haunts so many Morris blazers.

Added top-stitching, red lines

I could not believe I still had enough fabric to make one more thing. An easy choice - the Love Notions Sabrina Slims are one of my favorite pants. Absolutely like wearing PJs.

And the ponte is all used up, gone, done!

Ciao! Coco

Love Notions Boyfriend Cardigan...

It's fall, and I need a cardigan. Wait - I want to make a cardigan. I have so many and wear them all the time over sleeveless tops and dresses. And like bed jackets around the house when I don't want a full robe. So. A new cardigan.

I settled on the Love Notions Boyfriend Cardigan, after much searching on Pinterest, Kollabora, Jalie, Style Arc (not right now, thanks), BurdaStyle, and the Big 4 sites.

It's a PDF download file, which is becoming a preference with me. I like to flat-measure, draw, and write all over the assembled pattern. Plus, the designer, Tami Meyer, use a great trim-less technique for the tape-it-together exercise. It's easily and quickly done.

However...once I had it printed and taped, I just sat in amazement and kept pushing down the leg (mine) that was trying to kick me. Even though I read reviews and looked at several dozen versions of the cardigan, I had no idea that it has such close-fitting lines.

Beginning below the neckline and continuing to the high hip, the center back has a concave curve that is about 3/4" off vertical at its deepest point, in the area of the waistline. The side seam has an even more pronounced curve starting below the armhole, through the waist, and out to the hip.

Suddenly I had a picture of myself wearing this thing propped on my bum. If I had paid more attention to the examples I visited, I might have caught this - lots of fantail definition going on. But maybe that's popular - I know that not everyone wants to wear loose clothing.

So, I redrafted the main pieces.

 and my cardigan flows.

Sleeve caution flag - there's no angle on the hem allowance. I can't imagine how one would turn and hem this sleeve as drafted.

I like to start the angle about 3" above the bottom edge, which is usually more than I need, but lets me fit the length without fussing at myself...

A few more sewing notes:

• I sewed the size Large, the best match to my measurements.

• And did all the seams on my serger. 

• No side vents - just not my thing.

• I didn't use any of the neckband options offered by the pattern. I think the hood is cute, but I didn't have enough fabric for this version. The shawl collar - well, it's very shallow, and I doubt it would really fold back nicely.
  
  So I drafted a plain neckband, 76" long (a generous length, just in case...) and 3.5" wide. I also cut it lengthwise on the grainline so it wouldn't sag or flop. Finished, it's 1 3/8" wide, and it works great!

Inside view of the band finishing.

Outside view of the band and hem finishing.

• Squeezed for fabric, I used a plain patch pocket, instead of the draped one from the pattern.
  
  

  

  Not remarkable - I just think the letters are fun! Cotton /poly jersey from Girl Charlee.

  
  
• Good stuff -  the length of the cardigan and the sleeves were perfect for me. 

• This is the top of the armscye, at the shoulder seam. It puts my teeth on edge.

Before...

And after a trim.

• One last thing that had me so perplexed that I had a discussion with Tami about it. The sleeve cap is 3/8" shorter than the armscye at each side. And she said it is intentional, that the armscye should be longer than the sleeve cap on knits.
  
  I have no way to respond to that - it's her pattern. But I never imagined this would happen, and I didn't measure the two pieces when I was drafting my tissue. Out of fabric, I had no choice but to lose some of the side seam at the armhole. 

Sleeve and sleeve cap (top), sewn into the armscye (bottom).

In the end, I have a nice new cardigan. But I'm officially done with exploring indie patterns for a while. Except for Grainline Studios. I'll sew anything Jen Beeman designs and drafts.

Ciao! Coco

Grainline Studio Driftless Cardigan - new pattern!

 

 I love trying a new pattern from Grainline Studio. Jen is simply one of my favorite designers - her drafting is so professional, and her designs are trendy and fresh. Lots to like...

She released the Driftless Cardigan just a few days ago. I got it within 5 minutes of the announcement hitting my email inbox. Check this out!

From the pattern description:

"The Driftless Cardigan drapes beautifully and has a casual, yet polished appearance. It’s the perfect cardigan for cooler temperatures throughout the year...This pattern features pockets and drop shoulders. View A is straight across the bottom, while View B has a split hem and is longer in the back.

Techniques involved include sewing with knits, straight seams, attaching binding, thread chains, inserting buttons and buttonholes."

 

I decided to go with View B - buttons on sweaters don't interest me, and I was intrigued by that back hem band. How fun is this!

The pattern has 10 pieces for either view. That's a lot of pieces for a cardigan sweater - but they make for such nice details. Here's a look at the inside front - those great pocket bags (I had to lighten the pic a lot, purple is almost a bad as black for showing details):

 

And here's the nifty back - the two main pieces echo the front piecing, which I think adds a lot of interest to what would otherwise be a sea of fabric:

 

This pattern is rated at Advanced Beginner level, so I sort of thought about that as I was making the cardigan. I think it's valid - the most challenging construction is probably attachment of the neckline and hem bands. Not because it's hard, but because it needs to be done carefully so that the band width is uniform and the finishing is nice. 

 

The pockets might look complicated, but they're actually very easy to sew. I have to credit the pattern drafting on this point - everything fits so well, and it's very gratifying to see the pockets come out so well, particularly in a knit.

 

As one might expect, the instruction booklet is very well written and illustrated. So the 'hard' parts have lots of guidance for anyone trying some new sewing skills. 

A few sewing notes - well, a lot, but I hope they're helpful:

• As noted, I sewed View B, and cut the size 10. Love the fit!

• Being brave, and because this was intended to be a muslin, I used a poly/lycra sweater knit from Fabric Mart by way of France. It's closely knit and has a very small horizontal rib - which meant I had to be super careful in laying out and cutting the pattern so those ribs wouldn't wander around. Aaacck.

• My cutting regret: I failed to note that the pattern comes with 1/4" seam allowance. I prefer to sew knits with 1/2" allowances, and I usually draft my tissue with the added width. Next time... And here's a tip - it's very dangerous to cut notches into 1/4" allowances! I marked all of them with a small gold safety pin instead. Worked great.

• This sweater knit is kind of squishy and thick, so I spent a good bit of time finding the best settings for my machines (the seams are sewn first with a lightning stitch, and the seam allowances are serged together). I had to release the foot pressure on my sewing machine, something I haven't had to do before - but what a difference it made. And I didn't use my walking foot. Another surprise, but it sewed better with a regular foot.

•  Because of the weight and ample stretch in my fabric, I staystitched the neckline and front edges about 1/2" in from the edge, and removed the staystitching once the bands were in place. 

• IMHO, the sleeve is very narrow - I don't think I would be comfortable with a shirt sleeve under it. And the cuff is fitted as well - mine is only 7.5" around. Redrafting would be easy - just add width to each side of the bottom edge and redraw the side seams. The cuff would also need a little more width. E.g., if an inch is added to the bottom width, one might increase the width of the cuff by 1/2" - 3/4" to accomodate it.

• Finishing the front band: I serged the inside edge, and secured it by stitching in the ditch on the outside, along the band/front seam. That open-toe foot is great for stitch-in-the-ditch because you can see where you're going.

•  I didn't use thread chains to secure the pocket bags - I just didn't need them. If you want to try them, Jen has a tutorial on her blog site for making them.

• Last note - I lengthened the front and back by 1", as I'm a little taller than the fit models for most patterns.

I really like this pattern - it would be great in a mid-weight jersey or light sweatshirt fabric as well.

Parting shot: I just realized this morning that March is National Craft Month, which excuses the mess on my sofa...there's barely room enough for me :-)

Bye for now - Coco