The Cardigan

I'm not sure about the rest of the pattern however, the cardigan in Simplicity 2552 is nicely done. I really like these pleats each side of center front. They add softness and interest and just a little bit of a retro feel. This sweater knit was wonderful to work with. So wonderful, I'm trying to remember if it came in other colors.




I used a three thread serge to finish the seams and edges. The hemline below is fused with a one inch strip of knit interfacing. This is a tip I learned from Marci Tilton. It's great. With it, hemmed knits lay flatter and look far more professional.

With the raglan sleeve, I was worried about the armhole stretching out and used narrow pieces of fusible interfacing along the seam line. Next time, I won't do this. It works but it also feels slightly tight.

The shoulder is shaped with a curved dart. I used a French curve and chalk to mark the stitching line.




Things were going well until I tried the cardigan on Millicent and noticed that the bottom hem lines were off by one inch. I'm not sure how that happened but (well, actually, it had to be faulty measuring) I am sure that I ignored several intuitive flashes along the way. As I went to fuse the second strip, I thought you should compare these. When I cut off the extra interfacing, I thought this leftover bit seems longer than the other. And, when I was edge stitching, I wondered why is this puckering so much. All of these were clues that something wasn't quite right. I ignored them. I shouldn't have.

To fix this, I had to take out the edge stitching, peel off the interfacing, measure and re-block the piece, re-interface, and re-edge stitch. Luckily the front didn't stretch out of shape and steamed back into place well.

Here it is almost finished. Left to do are the hems, buttonholes, and buttons. The pattern calls for five buttons evenly spaced. I plan to use three with one at the top and the other two ending above the bust line. Up for debate are some waist tucks to add more shaping. I'll decide on that after I finish the hems.

Karen - thanks for the photography tips. Me being me, I have more questions however, these are an excellent beginning. My images so far have been really practical as opposed to pretty. I want to take them up a notch. I think that's going to involve different tools like a tripod and a remote so I don't have to rely on the busy boys.

Louise & Gail - grieving is a good description for how I'm feeling. So much of our culture revolves around food that everything changes when the food in your life changes. However, like all grieving, some days are good and others are not so good. I'll get through this. There are a lot worse things that could be going on. Thanks for the hug Louise and the empathy Gail. It's nice to know I'm not alone. Sewing helps. It's a great distraction and keeps my hands busy.




Today, I'll finish the cardigan and move on to the next project. I had two meters of the grey knit which should have been enough for the cardigan and a tank top only the fabric pre-shrunk just enough that I'm short about an inch and debating how to piece the bits to avoid buying more. A front yoke might do it.

The pink fabric is from before Christmas. I made a t-shirt with it and thought I had enough left over for a tank top when actually I have enough for another t-shirt. I love this color and pattern and it goes great with my SWAP collection. The adjustments made to my T & T t-shirt pattern since that first t-shirt have made it much more comfortable to wear especially through the armhole so I'm going to make another one out of this remnant for the SWAP.

I made a list yesterday and I've sewn a black with embroidered strips skirt, a plaid skirt, and a denim blue skirt as well as the grey/blue/black t-shirt, the ModCloth knock off t-shirt, and a knitted pink sweater all of which will - so far - be part of the SWAP. The blouse from earlier this week is up for debate. That leaves one more bottom, two to three tops, and a choice garment. Today's cardigan will most likely fill one of those slots as will the new pink t-shirt. I really want to make a blouse, a pair of pants, and a swing jacket or a dress. Before I do that, I need to double and triple check the rules to make sure I've covered all the requirements although that's not so critical since I'm not trying to win as much as create a wardrobe that works for me.

Have a fabulous weekend - Myrna

Grateful - a return to progress

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Personal Growth - You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. - Philippians 4:19

God knows what I need before I even need it. He will supply a way. This is both motivating and comforting. YES YES!