Monday 26 September 2016

A Bamboo Cardigan


I love the feel of this bamboo knit fabric! It is so soft and silky. It drapes beautifully too. Now that I have an overlocker, I am knocking out knit garments as fast as I can cut them out.

Actually, this cardigan took me over a year to make. I first bought only one meter of this from Fabricana in Vancouver. I hadn't realised that my last knit cardigan used more than 1 meter. More like 1.5m. I considered another cowl neck top, but deep down, I knew I wanted a cardigan. When I went back to Fabricana this summer, I looked out for the same bamboo so I could get another meter and make a cardigan. Luckily, they had it. I can't tell any colour difference between the two, so I was lucky indeed.


I used the same pattern from iCandy Handmade, the Boyfriend Cardigan. But I added the shawl collar from the Seamwork Oslo Cardigan. I considered a whole Oslo, but I like a more fitted shape and the Oslo has a dropped shoulder and a lot of ease under the arm.
I stupidly didn't read my own pattern notes from the Boyfriend Cardigan. I needed to add a seam allowance. I didn't until the front pieces. I also forgot the length I needed for the hem and the sleeves. I made another serious boo boo on the cutting out. When I lengthened the sleeves, I cut the left one in too far and it is tighter than it should be.

While I am confessing mistakes, I also sewed the front pieces on with the wrong side out!
I stabilised the shoulder seams, using the sewing machine, with pink ribbon. Overlocked the sleeves in place (easing the shoulder), side seams, and shawl collar. I should have used the sewing machine for the lower hem of the collar, because it needs a smaller seam to give it more drape. 

I used my twin needle for the lower hem, but it never seems to work with the walking foot. Without, it stretched out and you can see a lot of rippling along the lower hem. I hand sewed the hem of the sleeves instead. 



Costs: 
 
 Fabric: £19.84
 
 Thread: (new overlocker colour) £7.50
 
 New tools: (stretch needles and twin needle) £8.92


Total: £36.26

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