Sewing Bee Inspired Blackwood Cardigan

What did I just say about contests? Ah well, inspiration struck this time, so I've ended up entering the first round of the PatternReview Sewing Bee (along with 117 other sewists!). When I saw that the challenge was to make a cardigan, I knew I had to try, but it was only when I finally found the perfect fabric halfway through the week that I decided to go for it.

The challenge was not just a cardigan, but a cardigan inspired by the Pantone Colour of the Year, Living Coral. I finally came up with a concept after a few days of mulling it over. Here's what I wrote about my inspiration on PatternReview:

When I first saw the challenge I wasn't sure I'd enter as I couldn't come up with a good concept. But when thinking about coral, and about the description of the colour at the Pantone website, the phrases "authentic, connection, intimacy" made me think of traditional Ukrainian korali, the multistrand coral necklaces often interspersed with silver beads or crosses worn by women in traditional costume. These necklaces were highly valued and every woman had one - the more strands the richer you were. 

This use of coral felt like an authentic connection to my own family heritage, and so I wondered if I could make a cardigan in the redder tones of most korali, with silver accents. I was fortunate enough to find a reddish poly knit at my local Fabricland with an embossed surface; the colour and the texture both remind me of coral. I used silver reflective piping in the front band seam to give a touch of silver to the cardigan, and then I found some silver buttons with designs that look very much like the kinds of beads and crosses in these necklaces so made a little feature of them as well. 

I feel like this is my Ukrainian style coral cardigan and am quite happy with the fit and the colour -- though not exactly Pantone 16-1546 it does give me a sense of connection and joyful pursuits as described in the colour write up! 

The pattern is the Blackwood Cardigan by Helen's Closet, a pattern that I had out and ready to trace anyhow -- because this contest challenge was something I was planning on making and know I will wear, I went ahead with a different colour and fabric than I'd intended for it first. I only want to enter in to contests or sewalongs that fit in with my already scheduled sewing, otherwise I find they kill my joy in sewing. So this one was fortuitous.

The fit is pretty good, though the sleeves are quite narrow, not really great for layering over anything else that is in the least bulky. In my next go I may enlarge them slightly around the upper arm in particular.

I used a different fabric than recommended; this one is a lot sturdier and much less drapey than the recommended knits. But I love the way it turned out -- it's like a cozy sweater cardi, perfect for the cold weather we're having currently. Though I don't really recommend standing outside in a snowstorm for very long only wearing this! It was rather blustery on Saturday but I had to get some pics to enter the contest so out we went. 

I'm wearing it with my own coral necklace I bought when I visited Kyiv about a decade ago. I think it pulls it all together quite nicely. I do like the cardi, and I really like how I was able to take my vision of something that coral means in my life and turn it into this project.

Warm, cheery, and personal. What more can we ask of our sewing?

Simplicity 2560 : Divinely Purple

Since it's still cool here -- with variable temperatures, and icky freezing rain today -- it's still a great time to sew up some transition pieces. Something colourful to take away the grey winter/spring blahs, something comfortable to wear as a sweater on cold days or outside as a simple cardi on warmer days.

I also needed an easy make to recover from some more fiddly projects, and I found one: Simplicity 2560 made up in a very fine, very soft purple knit that I've been hoarding for a while, just waiting for the right project.

I"m wearing this with my favourite
 Maria DenmarkKristen Kimono tee,
 & some great purple tights

Fortunately it was sunny out, and warm enough at least one day, to sneak out to the back parking lot for some quick photos! Issues with taking pics into the sun though...

I cut this one pretty much as is, at size 16, except for shortening it by an inch (I am short). Once I had it laid out to sew, I thought that the sleeve might be a little close fitting to slip over other shirts, so I sewed the lower arm seam at 1/4" instead of 5/8", angling out to reach 5/8" at the point where I'd join the bottom parts on. It worked out perfectly.

I chose to make View B for its length and straight hem. I didn't like the poufy sleeve endings though, so was planning on simply hemming the sleeves instead of adding the pouf. When I tried on the finished garment, though, I thought the sleeves weren't long enough, and a basic hem wouldn't have looked quite right. So I cut the lining piece from the pouf, folded it in half and sewed it on as a sleeve band to finish. That was perfect -- right length, right weight on the sleeve, and it echoed the front band too. And I also love the way that the back and front sides are gathered.

I loved this pattern for its simplicity and flow. The front band which goes around the neckline and gathers as it falls is simply lovely -- my fabric is really lightweight and drapy -- in a heavier or stiffer fabric I might narrow it a little bit, as the gathers likely wouldn't fall as smoothly. I was so pleased that this pattern worked out without any fixes or massive alterations needed, and that it went together so quickly and easily. It feels wonderful to wear and the colour is divine. Or royal, if you prefer.

I love this cardigan! Definitely one I'd make again if I find another great fabric for it.