Another Cardigan + A Swingy Tee

Prior to Covid, cardigans played a huge part in my wardrobe.  I threw a cardigan over a shirt, tee or turtleneck and wore those layers over skirts and pants.  I even wore a lot of cardigans, aka Michelle Obama, over a dress in my Corporate Days.  Add a pair of pearls and pumps, you were professional and ready to go! 

While I was home for 18 months, I only wore the old junky cardis which were also worn as a layering piece.  I haven't actually thought about making more even though I own several TNT cardigan patterns, because they used to be an essential part of my wardrobe.  

So of course in the unsewn cut pile I moved last year, there was one last cardigan cut out. Since it's in my blue color scheme and perfect for back to work wear this spring, I started working on it Mother's Day weekend.

The cardigan was cut from Simplicity 8059.  I've made 8 versions from the pattern.  All but one of them remain in my wardrobe.  The vanilla cable version pilled so badly that I let it go. I love this cardigan because it's a simple throw on, easy wear cardigan that can be made from any kind of knit fabric. I have used ponte, wool jersey, velvet, sweater knit and even made a border print ponte version.

It's everything I like in a pattern. Easy to wear, made for simple variations (changed up the closures) and can be sewn in a variety of fabrics. It's been sitting for a few months, waiting for the temps to cool down so I could photograph it. Like with everything else I've sewn lately, this has already been worn out and about.

Supplies ~

Pattern: Simplicity 8059 which is out of print

Crochet knit fabric purchased from Fabric Mart

Black Silk organza from Thai Silks

Black fusible stay tape from Design Plus

Construction ~

For this cardigan I sewed the sleeves in using the flat application.  My favorite method. It's so much easier to get a knit sleeve in without puckers if you use the flat sleeve sew-in method...well to me!

Also because it was a knit, I used the silk organza facings that I'd use in my last version.  However, I did not add the fusible interfacing. Sewing wrong sides together, flipped in, pressed flat and then the fusible bias tape was added to insure the neckline did not grow...

I also used the fusible stay tape to stabilize the neckline of the cardigan...

Since this is a special knit it needed more techniques to insure that I did not stretch out the neckline or mishandle the application of the sleeves. So I added Seams Great to the neckline to stop the stretch.

Honestly, I have a few challenges with the finished cardigan - I've gained a few pounds since it was cut so it doesn't really close well.  Then I added the ties up too high on the v-neckline.  I've worn it and it didn't really bother me but aesthetically it's annoying.  However, not annoying enough to go in and fix it! *LOL*

A Few Pictures ~

A Swingy Tee ~

This is my Pembroke pattern that I added a couple of inches from the waist to the hemline on the front and back pieces by using the pivot and slide method. When I cut this out, I really wanted an easy slip on top to wear over jeans or leggings while working from home.

However, it pairs so well with the cardigan I've worn it to work this way. Though to be honest I've worn the top more than the cardigan. It's such a great layering piece and I definitely want to make more of them, possibly with a cowl neckline.

Supplies ~

Pattern:  Cashmerette's Pembroke Top

Fabric:  100% cotton knit from Organic Cotton - this has been in the collection for a few years and deserved to be sewn.

Construction ~

o The thing I like about Cashmerette Patterns is that the construction is done with a flat application.

o As always, I add some stay tape to the shoulder seams to stabilize them.

o I omitted the cowl AND the neckband facing.  Instead I turned the neckline down 1/2", pressed and used a twin needle to hem it.

o To make the swing, I did a pivot and slide from the neckline on both the front  and back pieces.  I slide it about 2-3 inches from the fold to gain the swing through the waist and hip area. 

o The sleeves are perfect for pushing up when wearing alone or wearing a little longer under the cardigan.

A Few Photos ~

This is another one of those outfits it's taken me forever to photograph so I've worn this top a few times already. But I love the extra swing in it because it's comfortable...and honestly comfort is more important to me than almost anything else these days!  Comfort with a little style are my guiding sewing lights now.

Finally, thank goodness this outfit has been blogged!

...as always more later!

Simplicity 8059 - An Eyelet Cardigan

I've made this cardigan several times over the last couple of years and it's become my go to pattern.

It was made to go with the latest Pembroke tunic recently completed. An early spring outfit to wear with leggings and/or white jeans.

Supplies ~
*Cotton Eyelet w/o stretch purchased from Fashionista Fabrics in 2007 
  (12 years old) so it's deep stash from the collection 
  (I blogged about the fabric here - and Fashionista Fabrics no longer exists)
*Silk Organza
*Ltwt fusible interfacing
*1" curtain matte gold grommets from Amazon
*1.5 yds beige ribbon from Joyce Trimmings from NYC Garment District

Design Decisions ~
I've made this cardigan a bunch of times, what makes this version interesting is the closure on the cardi front. I was inspired by this design I saw online. 

(JJill Marled Tie Front Cardigan)

When I pulled the eyelet and the rayon knit from deep stash, I thought the closing would work on a cardigan with a little engineering.

The second decision was to cut the eyelet off the selvedge and add it to the cardigan hemline, as well as make it part of the ribbon tie that holds the cardigan together.

Construction Information ~
To make the grommets work without tearing the eyelet, I had to put some thought into making them work.

First I decided to beef up the front and facing because this eyelet is quite holey. To give the facing some strength I cut the facings from the fashion fabric, silk organza, and a fusible interfacing. The fusible interfacing was adherred to the silk organza which was then sewn to the facing on the edges. This not only beefed up the facing but it clean finished the facings.

After I attached the facing, I made a sample of the grommet before placing it on my cardigan.

Then I held my breathe, followed the video instructions, cut a 1" hole in my garment, then placed the grommet in...and it worked! Y'all I seriously did the joy joy dance in the Sewing Cave and I may have shed a tear or two of relief!

The second design challenge was adding the selvedge to the hemline. In an unusual move I decided to add it only to the body and not the facing bands.

The last thing was making the ribbon to close the cardigan fronts. It's made from a purchased beige ribbon with a piece of the selvedge lace sewn to it. I purchased a bunch of ribbons hoping one would work with the cardigan but none did. So I made my own.

I wrapped one piece of the selvedge edge around the ribbon and stitched it down. One row on each edge and then two down the center to insure that the ribbon and fabric wouldn't pull apart. Even though I really wanted a contrast ribbon for the cardigan, I'm happy with this solution.

A few pictures of the cardigan ~

Conclusion ~
This was a fun piece to make. I liked the challenge of adding the grommets to the cardigan and figuring out how to use the selvedge as lace. It was a great detail to add to my TNT pattern.  

The sleeves weren't hemmed in these pictures because I couldn't decide how to hem them. After seeing these pictures, I'm going to add a hem to them before wearing it out.  Otherwise, I really love this new version.

Parting Shot ~

Walking with the grandbabies to take pictures

That was the last piece from my Sew Camp weekend finished at home. I had planned to sew something for the granddaughters but that got cancelled so I have no idea what's up next. I'm floundering a little on what to sew because the weather is changing so do I sew for now or do I sew for summer? 

...as always more later!

Simplicity 8059 in a Blackbird Fabric

I like this pattern. I really, really like this pattern! Obviously I do since this is my 7th version of it and I have a few more pieces of fabric dedicated to making more. For winter I like layering pieces and this cardigan makes a fantastic layering piece.  

See I have a rule when it gets extremely cold - 2 layers under my coat sleeve and since I sit near the front door at my job - those 2 layers are necessary to keep me warm during the day.

Simplicity issued this as a summer pattern and there were some amazing versions of it made by the sewing community for spring/summer. However, I always saw it as a fall/winter cardigan because of the ease of wearing and the ability to do some funky things with the front tie.

Materials Used ~
My last version was a wool jersey one.  This new one is influenced by a piece of fabric that Gillian from Crafting a Rainbow was gifted by BlackBird Fabrics. When I saw the fabric I fell in love and had to have a piece. I also wanted to try out BlackBird Fabrics since they are a new to me online fabric spot. I have to tell you the experience was wonderful. I received my fabric quickly even though it came from Canada and the quality is amazing. An aside here to say that I received the fabric faster than I have from some online spots in the US!

Since I've made this pattern so many times there are no new sewing challenges or techniques here. I let the fabric and the funky ribbon purchased from Joyce Trimmings speak.

A few pictures ~

As I said above, I have plans to make more of these cardigans because they work for my lifestyle...and because they are a wonderful showcase for interesting and pretty fabrics.

This was the first project from my Christmas Sewcation. It was a wonderful way to start because I got something accomplished right out the gate. 

Final shot ~
The girls were here with their Mother while we took pictures. However, they spent most of their time inside on the iPad and watching TV.  They ventured outside for just this picture...so here's Sammy posing with me and Aleena streaking by in the background! Please notice the pink ~ this little girl loves pink and she wears a little of it or a lot every day ~ even her sneakers have a little pink in them!

...as always more later!

A Cardigan and Tee in Wool Jersey

This cardigan started as a knockoff of an outfit that I saw on Lafayette 148's site. When I found the wool jersey on the Fabric Mart website, I knew it would make a great version of my inspiration outfit.

(inspiration picture from Lafayette 148 with the original fabric beneath it)

However, when I unfolded the fabric, it was very light...too light for what I had in mind. Now I know I should have cut a sample piece and prewashed it. However, I honestly don't have that kind of patience, so I just dumped the entire five yards in the washer. After the first wash & dry, all of the additives were removed. After the second wash & dry, the fabric had beefed up a little and had a little more body.

I decided to work with it after two wash & dries because I don't believe a third would have made much difference in the fabric's hand or weight. Just one thing to note ~ if you decide to wash and dry this fabric, stitch the ends together to insure that the fabric doesn't twist during the prewashing process.

I decided to use my TNT pattern - Simplicity 8059 - for the cardigan.

I've made this cardigan five times now and it's become a staple in my fall/winter/early spring wardrobe. It's a great layering piece and works well with my current lifestyle.

The top is a long sleeved tee from the Cashmerette Concord Tee pattern. This is another fave pattern of mine and I'm thrilled to now have made a fall/winter version. I added 2" to the hemline of the Tee. The extra length was added to the tee to complement the cardigan and make it look more like my inspiration garment.

My tie is a little higher than pictured on the pattern and my other versions. I wanted it to hold the cardigan together better under my fall jackets and winter coats. It's one of the things that annoys me about my other versions...the cardigan is always flopping around under the jacket by the time I get where I'm going.

A few pictures of the completed outfit ~

This outfit originally appeared on the Fabric Mart Fabricistas blog and I did receive a discount on this fabric. However all of the opinions about working with the fabric are mine.

A Parting Shot ~
The grandbabies were with me and my daughter when we were taking pictures. So here is a pic of me walking with them to the main drag to take these photos.

...as always more later!

Simplicity 8059 - A Blue Velvet Vest

When I was making the cardigans, the blue velvet was my favorite. I loved the look of it, the fabric and the ties, but the sleeves were just too tight. I tried to take some of the seam allowance out of the sleeves, knowing that the velvet holds the memory of stitches. Betting though that since the stitching was on the underarm I could get away with it. However, I didn't have enough space for comfort. So I removed the sleeves and made it a vest.

Otherwise this one was sewn just like the other cardigans...and I really like it as a vest. Also, because I used velvet as the base fabric, I used a navy ponte for the facings because velvet on velvet would be too much. To me the tassels are the detail that I love the most. 

I wanted to share a few details about how I made the tassels. From Joyce Trimmings, I bought a couple of velvet ribbons in shades of blue and the tassels to use as the ties for this version. 

How I put the ties together ~

Materials:
3 yards of turquoise 1/2" velvet ribbon
3 yards of navy 1/2" velvet ribbon
2 shades of blue beaded tassles
Steam a Seam 2

Cut the velvet strips out - 21" long

Added the Steam A Seam 2 to the back of the ribbon

Placed the tassel between the two strips 

Placed the second ribbon on top encasing the tassel

Finger pressed the two ribbons together

Pressed the ribbons using my needle board for the velvet ribbon

...and a silk organza pressing cloth on the top

To insure the ties wouldn't pull apart I added a line of 

stitching down the center of the ties

Finished ties before inserting them between the facing and vest fronts

Some construction details ~

All of the seams were pinned every 1/2" so that the two pieces of fabric wouldn't shift when sewn together.

I used a stitch length of 3 on my Janome 8900QCP and a #70 Schmetz Universal needle.

Each seam was started with the foot fully on the fabric and then I backstitched and sewed forward for each seam to prevent the bunching that can occur when sewing with velvet.
   
While this is a simple pattern to construct, I gave it a degree of difficulty by using a stretch velvet. It meant a lot of slow sewing, using my needleboard for pressing, a lot of steam and finally all hems were hand stitched down. However, the extra effort was worth it because it's such a luxurious piece. Truly this is why I sew!

A few more pictures of the vest in action ~

I've worn all of the cardigans and this vest to work and I love the ease of wear. They also feel like me. I wear them with jeans and leggings and a sweater or turtleneck. These pieces make me glad I sew!

Again, these photos were taken by me...the music was blasting and I was definitely getting silly but hey this is me! A silly sewist sometimes...*LOL*

...as always more later!