Beausoleil Top by ITS Patterns

I have finally made a cold shoulder top! I've been on the lookout for just the right pattern, and when Kennis asked for testers for her new cold shoulder design, I jumped right in. 

There just aren't that many options for cold shoulder tops in a woven that have appealed to me. I was looking for just the right amount of shoulder and a nice clean finish, and Kennis's design really captures this. The Beausoleil has views for a top or a dress, and obviously, I chose to make the top. 

I've tested for ITS before, and Kennis's patterns are usually right on point for me. This was no exception! I don't fit cleanly in the size range in this top, so I did a size 12 A cup bust, a 14 waist, and a 16 hip, but grading between the sizes was fairly straightforward. 

The only problem I had with fitting is in the back, where I did a sway back adjustment to allow the top to lay nicely along my spine. As is my habit with any new pattern for a woven, I made a muslin, and I basically pinched and basted the back vertical seam until it laid naturally on my body, then transferred the new curve to my pattern piece. Apparently my back has quite a curve, since this is one of the most common adjustments that I make. 

Once I had the swayback under control, I could really enjoy the way the fit of the top skims over the body. It is really a nice balance between shaped and flowing. I might make the dress view of the pattern just to take advantage of the beautiful shape!

For my final version I decided to use a lovely silk from my 2014 trip to Rome. This silk has a matte finish and a bit of weight to the drape. 

The pattern has a lapped back zip. I *might* have made one of these a loooong time ago! I found Kennis's instructions to be quite reasonable, and her photo tutorial was very helpful in clarifying the process. The facings worked out beautifully! I did encounter the dreaded bubble at the bottom of the zip... so I ended up ripping the bottom seam and re-sewing it in by hand. But after this minor snafu it lays quite nicely. 

However, the secret truth is.... I don't need the zip to get in and out of the top, which was true for many of the testers! If you choose to go the route of omitting the zip, it would be wise to test this out with your muslin (or some strategic basting) before making a dreadful mistake! Or, perhaps you want the challenge of the lapped zip... it does offer a nice vintage touch. Not to mention the convenience of slipping your top/dress over your perfectly coiffed hair...! 

One of the things I truly love about this pattern is the all-in-one facing. It gives the top a lovely polished look without the inconvenience of separate facings flipping out all over the place! However, (note to self!) I think I would trim just a *hare* off of the facing piece next time to help it stay invisible on the inside. 

Perhaps you can make out from these pictures that the sleeves are finished with a 1-inch cuff. This makes for an easy, clean finish. Another nice touch.

Can you tell, I really love this top! As usual, I'm planning out all of the wonderful possibilities of future versions. I think I need one in black crepe silk, and I also suspect this pattern would be perfect for a stable knit like a ponte. I'm also curious how the top would look if I widened the cut-out just a bit more. I might also try replacing the cuff with a narrower bias band for a slightly more delicate look. It would also be lovely in a simple linen or cotton as a casual summer top. 

Burberry Inspired Trench: McCalls 5525

One big wardrobe hole has been the complete lack of a light spring/fall coat. I've been making do with cardigans or blazers until it's cold enough to huddle under a wool coat. I considered using one of my already adjusted patterns and making it in a twill or very light coating weight fabric, but really the classic thing to fill this space in the wardrobe would be a trench coat. 

If I look grumpy in these pics, it isn't about the trench. Apparently this location is popular with the Pokemon crowd, and the current pair are deep in conversation about their concealed carry permits. Grrrrr.....!

Once I decided that it had to be a trench coat, I went about figuring out what really makes a trench coat a trench coat. The internet was quite happy to supply information about the trench's military origins, and how Burberry and Aquascatum created the first waterproof versions. 

For my first trench, I decided to go totally traditional. Khaki, double-breasted, plaid-lined. All-the-way on the details... epaulettes, storm flaps, self-fabric belt, wrist straps, button pockets, etc. I also decided that I wanted a very traditional fit... not the skin-tight fit that seems to be very fashionable in women's trenches right now, and not the billowing oversized look from the 80s.

As I sorted through the available patterns, I had my usual problem... none of them was quite right for my vision of the classic trench. I definitely prefer indie patterns, and there are a number of attractive indie trench patterns. For example, the Named trench, which is absolutely lovely, has a more relaxed fit. The Sewaholic Robson strikes me as very feminine, with rounded lapels and no separate collar stand. The Deer and Doe Luzerne has a waist seam so it almost looks skirted, just adorable. The designers have each done a lovely job of making the trench their own... but I want a BORING, basic trench pattern!

Patternreview turned up with the answer... McCalls 5525, which has an astounding 69 reviews. This might not be remarkable for a dress pattern, but for a relatively complicated coat pattern, this seems to be quite a number. It is almost perfect. Double-breasted, princess seamed, separate collar stand, and all the trench details. There was the small detail of the pattern being out-of-print, but I was able to turn up a copy on Ebay with relative ease. 

Trying out the back tie look.

After the issue of pattern choice was settled, then I had to find the perfect fabric. Traditionally, the trench is made of "showerproof" cotton gabardine. Supposedly this magical gabardine is woven so tightly that it repels rain. Burberry has said that they use waxed cotton thread to produce their proprietary gabardine fabric, increasing its water-repellency. Well, there is NOTHING on the US market that even tries to fit these claims. I only ended up with one sample of cotton gabardine in my search, and this sample was totally unremarkable. 

I considered using some other kind of water-repellent fabric... but these plastic-based coated or membrane based fabrics don't really seem true to the idea of a classic trench. I'm also highly suspicious of the supposed "showerproof" fabrics available on the fashion fabric marketplace-- they rarely come with any details on what exactly creates the water-repellancy, and I definitely don't want a coat that will be damp from the inside out. I am tempted to make a Gore Tex trench just to prove it can be done, but I don't imagine this will be a pleasant exercise, and it definitely doesn't fit the stated goal of the "classic" trench.

Alas, I ended up settling on cotton twill. I ordered samples from anyone who had anything in a proper khaki cotton, and ended up with one from Mood. As of now, they still have it. No, they don't pay me anything!

As for the twill... it is okay. It sewed up nicely, it is a nice mid-weight. One side is a plain weave, the other had a longer weave... I used the plain weave side. I actually had a bit of a panic when cutting my fabric that I'd chosen the back side of the fabric, but it turned out fine, and I was careful to keep the same face consistently throughout the project. I had to be very careful to use a press cloth or keep the temperature of the iron down, there are a couple of little places where I forgot where the surface of the fabric is a bit damaged. Honestly I couldn't even find them to take a picture, so probably not worth worrying over.

In terms of fit, I think I misjudged the amount of ease in the pattern-- I usually expect Big 4 patterns to include MASSIVE amounts of ease. However, I think the ease on this one is actually quite reasonable, as I should have guessed from reading the reviews-- so I actually ended up adding quite a bit to my chosen size 16. The shoulders fit beautifully, but I ended up making just about everything else a bit larger. The 16 is, unfortunately, the largest of the smaller sizes, so I just had to guess what the grade to the 18 hip would have been.  I deepened the armholes a bit, and added .5 inches to the side seams, increasing out to 1 inch at the hips. When I sewed it up in my fabric, things still ended up being a bit tighter than I wanted, so I decreased the seam allowances to .25 in the center back and at the side seams. 

I did end up making quite a few changes. The biggest change was converting the sleeves to a two-piece sleeve. I used the an article from Threads magazine to make the change, in addition to comparing my altered sleeve to some other two piece sleeves from coats in my pattern collection. A two piece sleeve just makes sense to me-- our arms are not straight cylinders! The sleeves are set in like a traditional coat sleeve with a sleeve head (I used a piece of poly fleece this time, since I wanted to make sure it wouldn't shrink). I did not put in a shoulder pad... a very slim one would probably be a good idea and further help the shoulder hold its shape, but I didn't bother.

I also redrafted the back storm flap to be longer and have a bit more volume. I re-drew the front storm flap piece so that the storm flaps would meet under the arms, and I made two front storm flaps for symmetry. The storm flaps are sewn together at the shoulders and the underarm seam, and are only joined to the coat at the neck and armhole, supposedly offering another layer of storm protection.

The belt is channel stitched, and has the classic trench D-rings. Supposedly they weren't actually for grenades, as is usually suggested, but for the more practical purpose of carrying map-cases and canteens. They also serve to hold the belt in place!

I made a full epaulette with a carrier, rather than a half-epaulette that is sewn into the shoulder seam. I simply doubled the length of the McCalls 5525 pattern piece. I also made the wrist strap a full wrap-around strap with carriers and a buckle, rather than a half-strap sewn into a seam. To make the full wrist strap, I just used the McCalls 5525 pattern piece, which reviewers note is notoriously long for its intended purpose. These little details just seem a bit more authentic to me.

Are these buckles on backwards? I think they are... 

One thing that I did not notice until the coat was nearly done was that the collar on the pattern does not button all the way up. There are three pairs of buttons that hold the double breasted coat closed over the midsection, and that is it. My practical nature rebels against this... why make a coat with storm flaps if you can't actually button the collar up under the storm flap? Fashionable ladies, those storm flaps are just for decoration, apparently. I made mine button all the way up, with a full complement of 12 buttons. 

However, the fact that I didn't realize this until late in the game shows that I really should have paid more attention to button placement on my muslin. I have the bad habit of winging such details... it always seems like I end up changing button placements to suit my body, so I hardly ever look at the suggested ones. For example, when deciding on the placement of buttons, I very carefully avoided having a pair in horizontal alignment across the most prominent part of the chest. If you know what I mean...

I also narrowed the lapel just slightly, which, in retrospect, definitely contributed to my button problems! I also made the lapels and the collar less rounded than is drafted in the pattern, I think the soft point is a more classic look.

So, months into the project when I actually decided to figure out button placement, I discovered that if I put the buttons where they needed to go to achieve a good seal around the neck, the coat was dramatically too tight over the chest. It looked like I needed a giant full-bust adjustment. In order to have the coat fit properly, I had to move the buttons more towards the center that I would have liked. This means that the storm flaps don't cover the top buttons completely like they should, and when the neck clasp is not fastened, there is a little bubble of fabric. Ah well! If I were to make this again, I would add length to the collar so that it will close when the coat is buttoned, and I might even add a small FBA to give a more room over the chest. It's unclear to me whether I had these problems because I should have sized up, or because the pattern wasn't designed to button closed.

Pretty much all of the versions made by other bloggers that I truly admire mentioned liberal use of fusible interfacing-- block-fusing large portions of the coat. I went with this, and the entire coat is block fused with a high quality lightweight interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply. The front panels are fused with light weft interfacing, and the collar, collar stand, and lapels are tailored with fusible horsehair canvas using this technique which I previously made a tutorial for.

My biggest disappointment is that my interfacing seems not to like this fabric. There are places on the coat where the interfacing is "bubbling." This is caused by the interfacing separating from the fabric, and this is sometimes visible on the surface. I've gone back to some of the places and tried to get the interfacing to adhere better with plenty of steam and pressure, but it doesn't seem to work. Either I didn't do a good job when I first applied the interfacing, or it just doesn't stick as well to this fabric as it has to past coating projects.

Using fusible might have been a mistake in this project, in retrospect. The pattern did say to use a sew-in interfacing, and of course I ignored this advice. A well-loved trench coat has to take a certain amount of abuse... theoretically it will get wet on a regular basis, and the light color will require more frequent washing. Hopefully the lack of adhesion doesn't get so bad that it ruins the look of the coat.

I couldn't find anyone who talked about pad-stitching a lapel on a smooth surface fabric like twill, but actually, I think I probably could have done it after working with this fabric, it is surprisingly forgiving. Next time I sew a trench, I might give this a try rather than risking the fusible. But I do really like the drape the fusible gives the fabric, so I'm a bit torn on this point.

Anyway, I also added lots of other fun details. The throat latch is attached with rivets. The collar stand and the belt are supported with channel stitching. There's a gold hanging chain. The buttons are real horn (ebay!), and the button holes are keyhole buttonholes. Thankfully my sewing machine LOVED sewing buttonholes on this twill, since I had to make 16 of them!

The lining is a Burberry-esque cotton plaid from an Etsy shop in the UK. I looked at SO MANY plaids, but the fact is, the Burberry design is sort of brilliant for a khaki color palette, really-- black and white with a touch of red, on a khaki base. I figure people can wonder... is it, or is it not a Burberry? The sleeve lining is beige rayon bemberg, to allow the coat to slip on and off easily.

And to avoid any confusion, I've made a special Unlikely tag for this coat. The tag is printed on my Etsy printer, a Canon Pixma, and it uses pigment ink for its black ink. I used the freezer-paper method to print the design on plain muslin. Much cooler than the Burberry knight, IMHO.

Another huge feature of the trench coat is its pockets. McCalls 5525 has an absurdly small pocket tucked into the front princess seam.  I ignored this pocket arrangement, and made single welt pockets with a button closure, which is the most common pocket used in Burberry trenches. I really like this type of pocket on a coat because it can be placed in the most comfortable place, at just the right angle, and there is plenty of room to make the pocket bags as big as is desired.

My pockets are HUGE. Funny story-- for a recent event I had to attend, I had forgotten the garnish for the dessert I had contributed. I walked past everyone in the reception hall with a giant can of whipped cream in my pocket. That's how big these pockets are! They have also proved to be vastly useful when out with the kids since I regularly end up carrying all sorts of random things like sneakers, wads of tissues, and the odd rock. I'm sure that's what the makers of the trench coat had in mind.

Not only are they huge, they are also pass-through pockets... there is a welt opening inside of the pocket that leads to the interior pocket. The interior pocket is also huge... I made it large enough to hold an iPad or a sketch book (two common things I'm often found carrying...). There are button closures so that it doesn't gape open when it is empty.

This trench has an absurd number of interior pockets. I sort of went a bit crazy- I guess I had secret agents on my mind. There are two zippered chest pockets (one on each side) and two zippered pockets in the lining, one at an angle and one horizontal. I'm REALLY good at making zippered pockets by now!

The back kick pleat was a bit of a struggle for me. I avoid hand sewing whenever possible, so I sought out directions on finishing a lined pleat by machine, and I thought I had it all worked out. It might have been just a bit wonky. Then I waterproofed the coat and let it hang dry, and after that it was just horrible looking, it looked like I was hiding a tail! I'm guessing the weight of being wet caused the twill to stretch more than the lining. I had to undo it all, and re-do it by hand so that it hung properly. Unfortunately I didn't manage to miter the pleat corners... can't win them all!

I went for a real belt buckle and grommets. I'm glad I went with the grommets... I actually looked into sewing eyelets, and apparently this is one thing my machine just doesn't do! I'm sort of shocked about that, it seems like a simple function for a machine that sews automatic buttonholes, and more useful than all those fancy stitches I never use. Seriously, if any of you know of a way to make a Janome 8077 sew an eyelet, I want to know, I've researched it and tried all sorts of hacks and I haven't come up with anything other than doing it manually, which is rather difficult. But the grommets are super simple once you get the hang of it. I ordered the grommets from Pacific Trimming, and the grommet setting tool from Ebay.

After wearing the coat for awhile now, I sort of see why everyone ties their trenches rather than actually make use of the buckle-- it is faster and more adjustable than buckling a buckle. And... if you belt is long enough to tie, you have to pull all that excess through the buckle, which is even more annoying. So the buckle mostly just hangs around, occasionally banging on things that I walk past. As much as I love the polished look of the belt buckle, I might skip it on future trenches!

I just had to do the classic tartan-on-the-bias under collar. The under collar and collar stand are supported by horse hair canvas so that they won't get floppy with time. Or at least, I hope so.

When the trench was totally done, I waterproofed it in Nikwax Cotton Proof. I just measured out the right proportions in a big tub (actually, an empty fabric storage bin!), and dumped my coat in. I followed the directions for soaking and hand-agitation. Since it was so incredibly heavy when wet, I put it in the washer for a spin cycle to wring it out, then hung it to dry. It seems to have worked, water beads on the surface! But it is really only "shower" proof, the water will sink in if left for any length of time. Better than nothing though.

Well, that's about it! It took me SO LONG to finish this project. I've been at this for months. I didn't take it very seriously when other bloggers talked about what a big project their trenches were, but now I have to agree! The project was also dragged out by the fact that I was doing this during a very busy time and I was snatching an hour here and 30 minutes there. But I think it is well worth it, I love wearing it, it makes me smile at a nice cool rainy day!

Can you imagine, I'm already planning my next trench? Yes I am! I'm in the collecting materials phase of the project. While I love this trench, it is a bit dramatic... it is very heavy and sort of on the long side, and I feel very conspicuous wearing such a light color. My next trench will be lighter weight-- I'll lay off the interfacing, probably leave it unlined, and shorter (mid thigh). It will definitely be a darker color. I also really want the classic raglan sleeve trench... and that will require some pattern alteration!

Speaking of material gathering... I have FINALLY found a true showerproof cotton fabric. After much searching, I came across Ventile and Etaproof fabrics. I was unable to obtain Ventile (the UK outfitter refused to ship to the US, and the UK manufacturer didn't respond to my inquiries) but a German outdoor store, Extremtextile in Dresden, was perfectly willing to ship 3 yards of EtaProof, which is made in Sweden. I'm excited about my EtaProof, but it might be years before this project actually happens!

Until then, expect to see lots of khaki around here!

Just in Time For Spring: Velveteen Rabbit Pattern in Love Sewing Magazine

It's been a long time coming, but the Velveteen Rabbit Sewing Pattern is finally available! I've collaborated with Love Sewing Magazine, and you'll find it in Issue 37 which is available now.

This rabbit sewing pattern is inspired by the story by Margery Williams. It enchanted me when I was a child, and I love reading it to my own children. There have been several editions published, but I especially love the original version illustrated by William Nicholson.

The Velveteen Rabbit pattern makes a soft toy that is about 14 inches high, not including the ears. It is approximately a life-size standing rabbit. You can make it with any soft, woven fabric such as velveteen or quilting cotton. The instructions include pattern pieces for making weighted bags to give the toy a realistic weight and to help it stand upright.

If you are in the UK, you might be able to find Love Sewing on the newsstand! If you are in another country, shipping is quite reasonable, or you can get a digital copy for instant gratification. I was not previously a subscriber, but I've been really enjoying my copy, it has some really great patterns in it and stories by some members of the sewing community that I really admire.

There are also new Velveteen Rabbits in The Unlikely Handmade Store. There is a burgandy and pink velvet bunny (the very last of this fabric!). Also a very special floral bunny made with an organic cotton from Cloud 9 called "Secret Garden"-- this is my daughter's favorite, I might be making another for Easter for her! And my personal favorite, a dark chocolate colored bunny made in a super soft silk-rayon velvet. The pictures really don't do it justice. All of my bunnies are sewn double-layer for durability, and stuffed with wool for cuddly warmth! They are limited edition, so don't wait if you have fallen in love with one!

****EDITED September 2017****

The Velveteen Rabbit Pattern is now available in The Unlikely Handmade Store on Etsy! This is the same pattern that was in the magazine, but it also includes step-by-step instructions with photographs guiding you through every step.

 

Blackwood Cardigan Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Danielle Bilder!

Thanks to everyone who played, and for all of your generous comments!

How to Tailor a Coat or Jacket with Fusible Interfacing

While I love a beautiful padstitched lapel, sometimes the circumstances call for other methods. With some fabrics, it's really hard to hide a stitch... for example, I'm currently working on a trench coat with a smooth cotton twill that would be difficult to padstich, but I still want beautifully curved collar and lapel. Or, perhaps I just want to move forward on a project, rather than spending hours with a needle and thread.

The method shown here is from Anna Zapp's book, "The Zapp Method of Couture Sewing," with modifications from my own experience.

The first step is to cut out your pattern pieces from your interfacing. Trace your original front jacket or coat pattern piece, and cut it on the roll line. Add 1/4 inch at the roll line to both new pieces. Remove the seam allowances. On the lapel piece, trim it by 1/4 inch at each side of the roll line, narrowing to nothing at the tip of the lapel.

Cut the lapel piece from heavy-medium weight fusible interfacing, ON THE BIAS. I used fusible horse hair canvas from Fashion Sewing Supply. Cut the body piece from medium weight fusible interfacing. Depending on how much structure you want in your jacket, this could be more horse hair canvas, or a lighter more flexible interfacing, such as weft interfacing.

Fuse the front body interfacing piece to the as you normally would, following the manufacturer's instructions for applying the interfacing.

For the lapel piece, start fusing at the roll line. The lapel piece should be a total of a 1/2 inch shorter at the roll line, so stretch it to fit the roll line of the body interfacing piece. Since it is cut on the bias, it should stretch to fit.

Fuse the roll line of the lapel piece into place wile holding it in its stretched position.

The interfacing should naturally want to curl. Continue fusing your lapel around a curved surface. Here I'm using the edge of my ironing board, with extra padding (which happens to be an old wool sweater).

Then apply twill tape at the roll line, if desired. Twill tape is usually cut 1/4 inch shorter than the roll line. This can be machine stitched, but I usually hand stitch it. 

Use steam to finish shaping the lapels.

For the under collar, a similar technique can be used. Use the under-collar pattern piece to cut your under collar interfacing from horse hair canvas, on the bias. Trim the seam allowances. Further trim the edges by about 1/4 where you want the collar to turn.

Stretch the interfacing along the approximate roll line, and fuse into place. Use the edge of your board or a sleeve roll so that the iron contacts the interfacing just on this line.

Continue to fuse the interfacing around a curved surface. When you are done, the collar should hold its curve by itself. Apply your collar-stand interfacing, if you are using this piece.

Finish shaping the under collar by curling it around your ham and pinning it in place. Apply liberal amounts of steam to perfect the shape.

And your collar and lapels are done, ready to be sewn into your coat!

These lapels were from my asymmetric zip coat. I'm currently working on a trench coat, and I think I'll be using fusible tailoring again, since I'm not fond of the idea of pad-stitching on a smooth twill. 

Have you tried tailoring with fusibles? Please share your experiences and tips in the comments!

Personalizing the Blackwood Cardigan by Helen's Closet

I know it's been a long time-- I have so many posts to write, and so little time! I'm hoping that life will calm down a little so that I can share more with you in the near future. Today I have an extra-special post with an exciting giveaway at the end!

I'm currently really enjoying the Blackwood Cardigan by Helen's Closet. To be truthful, I've been waiting for the right cardigan pattern to come along. I have a trusty cardigan pattern that I pull out when I need a new one, but it is basically a poor attempt tracing a favorite cardigan, and the fit has always been just a bit sloppy and I've been too lazy to fix it.

I was a pattern tester for the Blackwood. When Helen revealed that her new pattern was a cardigan, I was thrilled-- it's just what I was looking for!

I also have a few other favorites from Indie designers that fit certain needs. The Coppelia Cardigan by Papercut Patterns is a cozy wrap design (I've blogged that here and I have another one that I love even more in a simple merino knit that I apparently never blogged). For a classic button front cardigan there is the Lisbon Cardigan by Itch to Stitch (see mine here).

What's nice about the Blackwood is that it is a simple, no closure design. It is designed to fit closely, and has cuffs, a neck band and a bottom band, so you can sew the entire thing on a serger. This is the line drawing from the pattern, so you can see it is a pretty straightforward design, with a long and a short view.

My first version is View B, unaltered except to shorten the sleeves by one inch. It's a little longer on me than in the drawings, probably because I'm 5'4", but I like the extra length. I made this one in a stretchy wool knit. I can't recall the exact composition of this fabric, but it definitely has some spandex in it.

I just love the super-wide bottom band on this cardigan, it feels so decadent to make a band so wide, and it also gives the bottom of the cardigan a bit more weight and substance which improves the drape.

I interfaced the bands with a lightweight knit interfacing, just to give them a touch of structure and to encourage my very stretchy knit to behave properly. I also put a strip of interfacing in the shoulder seam to prevent stretching.

I followed the directions as written on this version, and everything worked out beautifully. I did have a bit of fun with this all black cardigan by binding the seams with a fun black and white lace print knit. I did all of the construction on the serger, except for the seam binding.

After wearing this cardigan a few times, I decided I wanted a bit more coverage in front-- my office is super drafty, so I like to be able to wrap the cardigan around me when I feel a bit of chill. I added about 1-inch in the center front, fading away to nothing at the neckline. The pink part is a sketch of the part that I added to the front pattern piece, and the gray is what I added to the bottom band.

I made my second Blackwood from another wool jersey knit. This is a wonderfully soft wool knit, but it has only mechanical stretch (no spandex). So I also decided to do a full biceps adjustment-- Jenny at Cashmerette has a nice description of how to do this on her blog. I used a lovely wool ribbing for the bands... I have a couple of roll-end pieces from Emmaonesock that have been in my stash for years, and this was the perfect application for one of those pieces.

To show off this lovely ribbing, and to maximize coziness, I made the neck band the same width as the bottom band. This simple change also really makes this cardigan look totally different from my first black cardigan.

Attaching neck bands to cardigans is always a bit of a dilemma for me. I just hate to have that seam exposed, it looks so unprofessional to me. So on this cardigan, I decided to fold under the raw edge and top stitch it down. This is sort of hard to do neatly since you need to top stitch from the front side and catch that folded edge on the underside. I've tried various methods to keep that back side in line, including using tons of pins and wash away tape. This time I tried hand basting.

The end result isn't perfect, but I still prefer it to a serged edge.

This has become the cardigan I reach for on chilly days. So cozy, but the ribbing gives it a bit of structure so it doesn't look sloppy. I especially love the wide bottom band done up in the rib, it really accentuates this design detail.

So, my next version I decided I needed to break up my black streak. I've had this lovely Missoni knit in my stash from Emmaonesock for awhile. It is really quite lovely, mostly viscose with a bit of brassy sparkle, in a bold color scheme from the height of Missoni's chevron craze. I was thinking I'd make it into a dress, but I think it will get much more wear as a cardigan.

This very special knit really needed a very special fabric for the bands. I definitely wanted a solid that would pull out and accentuate one of the colors in the fabric. Rayon ponte would be the obvious choice, but I've had some trouble with rayon pilling in hard wearing locations. Silk jersey would be decadent, but the price tag is pretty steep, and I'd also have to work out how to give it enough structure to not look floppy. I ended up going with a navy wool boucle from Emmaonesock. I just took a risk and ordered a yard, and the color was perfect but it was a bit thicker and a touch scratchier than I had expected.

In a flash of inspiration, I remembered that I had some black silk jersey scraps from a previous project. Instead of cutting the neck band and wrist bands in a single piece and folding, I cut the pattern piece into two pieces and added a seam allowance to each piece. This allowed me to use the silk jersey on the inside of the bands, and the wool boucle on the outside. The two are perfect together... the wool provides structure and a beautiful color and texture, while the silk jersey reduced bulk and is wonderfully soft on the neck and wrists.

For the bottom band, I just used the boucle folded over. On this sweater, I decided to make the bottom band and the wrist bands the same width as the neck bands, and made the body of the cardigan longer to compensate. I should have made the sleeves longer to compensate also, but I forgot to do this. It turns out though that this crazy loose knit wants to grow, and the sleeves are plenty long. 

I went up a size for this cardigan, from a large to an XL. The Missoni knit is considerably thicker than the fabrics this pattern calls for, and while it is a loose knit, it doesn't have the kind of stretch and recovery that a knit with spandex has. I kept the shoulder width of the L though, since I thought this was perfect on me, and I didn't want the drop-shoulder look.

However, I think there was also a bit of lateral growth when I was working with the pattern pieces, and I might have overcompensated, since it is a bit roomier than I expected. I may take it in a bit at some point, especially if it continues to stretch out, but a bit of extra room in a cardigan isn't such a bad thing.

Since this is a very loose knit, I fused strips of bias-cut weft interfacing in the shoulder seams and the armhole seams to prevent the sweater from stretching out of shape over time.

For finishing the bottom band and neck bands, I hand sewed the back of the band to the sweater. Hand sewing isn't my favorite thing, but I wanted a truly lovely finish on these somewhat fickle materials so I conceded gracefully.

While it's not perfect, it is a fun piece to wear and it is both practical and luxurious. In my mostly dark-colored wardrobe, I enjoy having a few quirky garments that I pull out a couple times each season, and this definitely fills that role.

There you have it, one pattern resulting in three very different cardigans. The possibilities are endless... and I haven't even cracked open view A!

Dear readers... how will you personalize your Blackwood? With special thanks to Helen, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for the chance to win your very own PDF copy of the Blackwood Cardigan Pattern. The giveaway will be open until Sunday March 19th at 12am, and I'll contact the winner by email.




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