Thursday, March 28, 2019

Coral and Stripes Fulton Sweater Blazer

It finally feels like spring here in the Finger Lakes! When I was thinking about the predicted 60 degree weather today, the coral pink of my Fulton Sweater Blazer was irresistible. 


I made this weeks ago, as the first challenge of the Patternreview Sewing Bee. The challenge was to sew an open front cardigan that used Pantone's "Living Coral" color either literally or figuratively. This color was so jarringly outside of my usual dark-neutrals winter color scheme that I decided to go for it!



I knew right away that I wanted to sew the Alina and Co. Fulton Sweater Blazer. I've made dozens of cardigans, but the crisp collar of the Fulton is just so chic, and I thought it would elevate a simple knit cardigan.



I bought this fabric on Amazon! I've never in my life bought fabric on amazon before, but who else in the fabric world will guarantee 2-day shipping on a cut of fabric? It was just the right color, and a stable knit ponte was perfect for the pattern. It does have higher poly content than I usually would prefer, but it was a lovely weight and very soft when it arrived. FYI, I made a sweater for my daughter with the extras and it has pilled quite a bit, but kids clothes do take a beating.

Speaking of leftover fabric... I think the fabric requirements of this pattern must be generous, because I had A LOT of leftover fabric. It calls for 2.75, and of course that means you have to buy 3 at most online fabric stores. I'm pretty sure I used less than 2.

Anyhow, I did a quick muslin, and it fit beautifully, so I jumped right into cutting and sewing.



The pattern is totally straightforward if you have sewn a cardigan before... except for the collar. However, the instructions really walked you through it step-by-step, including helpful tips like marking and which side of the fabric to sew on. The illustrations were spot-on and did not involve any head scratching to figure out.



I also love the cuff detail, and I chose to highlight the roll up cuff option with a contrasting stripe knit that I had in stash. I used the stripes to do a hong-kong seam finish for a beautiful interior. I also love all of the other little details of this pattern like the neck facing, deep hem and generous pockets.



I love this cardigan! I might, however, add just 1/4-1/2 to the shoulder seams and upper arms next time to give a bit more room to layer over the slightly oversize shirts that I tend to prefer. You can see it pulling a bit in the pics. Actually when I put it on today it seemed to fit better, even over a long sleeve shirt. So go figure.


Quite honestly I have only worn this once since I made it... but today it was just the thing to highlight one of the first spring-y days of spring!


Happy Spring!

2 comments:

  1. Beautiful cardigan. This is in my sewing queue and you have made me think I should bump it up to the front! I love your blog and often check to see what other beautiful things you have made.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You should! It is a great pattern for spring. But I know what you mean... my queue is so long!

    ReplyDelete