I have been feeling under the weather for the past few days here which has been slowing down my sewing, but has provided me with opportunities to catch up on blogging! I don’t need to say that this post is overdue. It has been overdue for what feels like months! The testing for this pattern was completed sometime in the beginning of February, and here we are at the beginning of April… Well, better late than never!!
I was over the moon when Helen asked me if I wanted to test Blackwood cardigan pattern. It is Helen's second pattern. I really appreciate that her patterns are very beginner friendly and have thorough instructions. Yet the garments look anything but simple and both patterns are great wardrobe builders. I am very curious to see where she takes her patterns in the future!
I signed up to test the longer version, view A, but I knew that I would be making both versions and something in the middle in the future. My first Blackwood cardigan I sewed up exactly as per instructions. I chose the size based on my measurements. It is interesting to see that the final garment measurements do not provide the bust circumference. That is simply because the cardigan is not meant to close. It is a layering piece and is meant to be worn open.
For my first try I chose a very inexpensive mustard knit I had in my stash. It is some kind of polyester blend that I scored on sale at FabricLand a few years ago. I loved the color, but I wasn’t a fan of the feel of the fabric on my skin. Making a cardigan out of it seemed to be a perfect way to use this fabric up.
For my second and third versions of the cardigan I chose to shorten both the length of the body by about 5”, and the sleeve by about 1”. This resulted in a cardigan length being somewhere right in between view A and B. I wanted a cardigan to hit my low hip since I noticed that this is my favourite length of a cardigan.
This time around I skipped the pockets since I wanted to make the cardigans really fast. Seriously, when you skip the pockets on the cardigan the whole thing can come together in an hour and a half! It’s that fast.
In hindsight, I wish I left the arm length alone. I love the longer feel of the sleeve and the way it bunches on my wrist, but it is not a deal breaker at all.
When I first made all three cardigans I thought I would be wearing my teal and gray ones more often, but I can not believe how often I have been reaching for the long mustard one! I have been practically living in it on weekends. It is so comfy.
If you are worried to sew with knits, don’t fear! You do not need a serger to make this cardigan. You can make the whole thing on your sewing machine. Helen shows you how to. And if you are still scared, remember, you can skip those pockets to make the whole thing as easy as possible.
I am very impressed with this pattern and overall it is one of y favourite go-to patterns. I am planning to make two more of these for spring and summer season. I am still unsure of the length of each, but I know that I will make at least one view A. Nonetheless, both views are great layering pieces and the greedy side of me really wants one in every colour!
Love,
Anya
I was over the moon when Helen asked me if I wanted to test Blackwood cardigan pattern. It is Helen's second pattern. I really appreciate that her patterns are very beginner friendly and have thorough instructions. Yet the garments look anything but simple and both patterns are great wardrobe builders. I am very curious to see where she takes her patterns in the future!
I signed up to test the longer version, view A, but I knew that I would be making both versions and something in the middle in the future. My first Blackwood cardigan I sewed up exactly as per instructions. I chose the size based on my measurements. It is interesting to see that the final garment measurements do not provide the bust circumference. That is simply because the cardigan is not meant to close. It is a layering piece and is meant to be worn open.
For my first try I chose a very inexpensive mustard knit I had in my stash. It is some kind of polyester blend that I scored on sale at FabricLand a few years ago. I loved the color, but I wasn’t a fan of the feel of the fabric on my skin. Making a cardigan out of it seemed to be a perfect way to use this fabric up.
For my second and third versions of the cardigan I chose to shorten both the length of the body by about 5”, and the sleeve by about 1”. This resulted in a cardigan length being somewhere right in between view A and B. I wanted a cardigan to hit my low hip since I noticed that this is my favourite length of a cardigan.
This time around I skipped the pockets since I wanted to make the cardigans really fast. Seriously, when you skip the pockets on the cardigan the whole thing can come together in an hour and a half! It’s that fast.
In hindsight, I wish I left the arm length alone. I love the longer feel of the sleeve and the way it bunches on my wrist, but it is not a deal breaker at all.
When I first made all three cardigans I thought I would be wearing my teal and gray ones more often, but I can not believe how often I have been reaching for the long mustard one! I have been practically living in it on weekends. It is so comfy.
If you are worried to sew with knits, don’t fear! You do not need a serger to make this cardigan. You can make the whole thing on your sewing machine. Helen shows you how to. And if you are still scared, remember, you can skip those pockets to make the whole thing as easy as possible.
I am very impressed with this pattern and overall it is one of y favourite go-to patterns. I am planning to make two more of these for spring and summer season. I am still unsure of the length of each, but I know that I will make at least one view A. Nonetheless, both views are great layering pieces and the greedy side of me really wants one in every colour!
Love,
Anya