Have you met Sophie?

Would you like to see my latest project? Here is it:

Sophie cardigan is the newest family member of Muse Patterns. It has raglan sleeves and it comes with several options - three necklines, two types of pockets and two different closures to choose from. It means you can make this cardi gazillion* times and nobody will know you used same pattern ;)

*I might have exaggerated  a bit here

Sophie was an easy make. Instructions are detailed and they include drawings. I chose V-neck zip up version with patch pockets. The pattern is designed for those lucky tall ladies and I am only 160 cm so I had to take some length off. I took 5 cm intentionally and then another few accidentally ;) I shortened sleeves by 7 cm which means they are now too short - when will I learn to measure twice and cut once???

According to my measurements I should have made size 42 but my high-bust measurement suggested going down two sizes.
I made size 38 with 5 cm partial FBA with no added length...
That created a dart...
That dart took some length off the side seam...

Can you see where I am going with it?  I completely forgot that it will make the side shorter therefore I should have added that length or adjust the back piece. I ended up with a cardi that is shorter than intended. There is an old saying in Polish that covers it perfectly - 'A Pole is wise after the event!'

I used some mysterious but very very pretty fabric I got during The Fabric Warehouse sale last year. It is textures and a bit stretchy but quite stable. That watercolour floral print is absolutely amazing and I regret not buying more. The only reason it's been sitting in  my stash for almost a year is that I couldn't decide what to make with it! I wanted a dress, then a jacket, skirt and trousers ;)

This is not the last Sophie you will see here. It is such a versatile pattern. I especially love Jenna's version. Isn't it gorgeous? I might have to go fabric shopping - Sophie would look awesome in royal blue merino, right?

Sorry for stupid face but I realized I didn't take a photo wearing this cardi open ;)

Teal merino cardie

While the northern hemisphere is experiencing heat waves we are suffering from polar vortex. I know that 5-10 C during the day is not really that cold especially compared to polish winters when temperatures are sometimes as low as -30. On the other hand the buildings here are often very lightweight - no insulation, no double glazing, no central heating which also means that inside is not much warmer then the outside.

I wanted to be prepared for the winter so I bought two pieces of merino in May - one really nice purple-pink patterned one and then some cheaper mix of merino and nylon to make a wearable muslin. I decided to make McCall's 6844 - lovely basic pattern that comes in four variations. I made shorter peplum one.

Sewing the cardigan was really easy. No issues there other than my fabric being quite resistant to pressing! My seams look wonky and just not right no matter how long I pressed and steamed. I should have used my walking foot too. The fabric was a bad choice for one more reason - the threads are really prone to pulling.

The cardigan is also not easy to photograph well. I tool so many photos wearing it and only very few look reasonably ok. Sigh... I didn't really make any changes to the pattern but next time I will. I'm going to choose smaller size, do a FBA, shorten the sleeves and shoulder seam. And make a belt with the same fabric. I think this pattern can be really awesome once I get fitting issues sorted. I also want to make it again (in both peplum and straight short versions) in plain fabric and use my nice patterned piece for a top. It might not happen this winter though - my sewing time is limited to weekends right now and my sewing queue is huge!