For as long as I’ve been sewing, I’ve been wanting a nice cardigan pattern. The desire has really amped up in the last year, though, when everyone started knitting these cute cropped cardi’s. I tried my hand at knitting last year, but while I would love to do it, I just don’t have the patience – it’s like trying to learn how to snowboard when you’re a skiier. I don’t want to be falling over on the beginners slope when I know I can be carving on the advanced slopes.
Finally, though, I have my pattern, and I couldn’t be happier.
Jenna Cardigan is the first pattern from the new Muse Patterns, spearheaded by Kat from Modern Vintage Cupcakes. It’s described as “a fitted, round neck, button-up cardigan with two length options (hip or waist length), three sleeve options (long, 3/4, or short), and optional shoulder yoke detailing.” It costs $12 USD for the PDF but Kat has kindly offered a 15% discount! Available for the following 1 week. Just use the code “CURVES” once you get to the paypal screen.
Design
The design, I think, is beautiful. It is “vintage inspired” which some people love and some people dislike, but it also looks modern. It has the plain variation A as well as the freaking cute yokes on variation B – which looks like the PERFECT place to add some appliques or embroidery.
There are lots of different ways to make the cardigan (long or short, plain or yokes, sleeve length short, midi or long. So there’s 12 ways) which is great – but does mean that there is no definitive yardage suggestion or layout. I made my two versions with just over 1m of 150cm wide fabric. Kat does provide the required yardage for each pattern piece which you can add together but keep in mind this wont be 100% accurate (will probably over-estimate how much you need)
I prefer the short version because it looks best over dresses and high waisted skirts, and because I have a very narrow waist compared to my bum/hips, which can make fitted knits look weird at the side seams. And I like the 3/4 sleeves because I dislike clothing over my wrists!
There is no mention of a difficulty rating. I think this could be tackled by a beginner/advanced beginner – there was nothing particularly challenging about it, and you could do it even if you don’t have much experience with knits.
I would like to see a V-neck variation, as mostly I wear it with the top few buttons undone. I asked Kat about this and she said she considered it, but it would have been way more pattern pieces to include – but she will be doing a few posts on how to alter it to a v-neck.
I thought the PDF went together really well, lines matched up nicely. It’s condensed well so you don’t waste much paper, and Kat provides a guide to help print only the pages you need.
Sizing
Muse Patterns designs for an hourglass figure, so keep that in mind. And they also go up to a size 48″ bust, hooray!
Because it’s a knit, sizing WILL depend on how fitted you like your garments. I have a 40″ bust and 32″ waist but I made mine in the size 36, which fits well in the shoulders/sleeves etc, but I will need to add a bit extra at the front center to stop it gaping. It does mean if you have a 50″ bust and you like yourself some negative ease, you could easily make the size 48 – or you could make the size 48 and add to the center front before adding the button band.
If you’re big busted, I wonder if it would be worth going by your high bust measurement for the back/sleeves/waist, then cutting a size or two bigger for the front piece? I’m very small busted so don’t know if that would work, but that’s probably easier than doing a FBA on a knit cardigan!
Instructions
Instructions are good. Good photos which means that if you’re more advanced you don’t need to read the instructions each time, you can just glance at the photos if you need a reminder. But they are detailed (and concise) for beginners too. I read through the instructions before the pattern was released and couldn’t find any errors, in fact (I usually give at least a page of feedback).
Remember to check your fit before attaching the button band, as you put the waist band on first – you might want to make it smaller.
I constructed mine purely with my overlocker, using my regular machine to top-stitch and do the buttons/buttonholes. When attaching the button band I found it worked best if I basted it on with my regular machine, so that the top of the band lined up with the top, and vice versa – with the overlocker it was really difficult to get this precise (I got a gap between the two because I couldn’t keep the fabric together) and I had to kind of “push” the buttonband into place when top-stitching.
Pros
- Good size range, going up to a 48″ bust
- I love the bloody design! It’s exactly what I’ve been pining for all these years
- Different variations so you don’t look like you’re wearing the same cardigan every day
- Doesn’t use much fabric so you can use more expensive fabrics, if you want (hello, merino)
Cons
- I would like to have a v-neck variation, but I do believe there will be instructions on how to do this later on
- Can be tricky to line up the button band easily
- Buttonholes can be tricky on knit fabric, so be careful!
- I can’t think of any other cons. I seriously lovelovelove it.
Conclusion
I just need to stop gushing or you’ll think I was paid for the review. I LOVE IT. What do you think? Do you think you’ll try it out?
Use the code CURVES to get 15% discount on the pattern, for 1 week!
Thanks for this. Your cardi’s lovely, but not as lovely as your hair – so cheerful, I love it! Anyway, back to the cardi. I’m always cold and only have two cardigans right now, one rubbish and the other with holes in. I keep promising I’ll crochet something (yeah right) because knitting is too slow, but you’re right – sewing is just better. Off to buy the pattern! Thanks for the excellent review.
I absolutely love the versions you’ve made! If I were just looking at the versions on the pattern’s website, I probably wouldn’t have bought the pattern (I know, I judge things too quickly – and I have no imagination), but the solid colours are something I would definitely wear with my dresses.
I’m having a little trouble getting the code to work however. I may have left it too late? It says this was posted five days earlier. I might just be doing something wrong though.
Cheers,
Nat.
I hadn’t seen this pattern before so of course went off to buy it, but the code wasn’t valid??
It isn’t clear, but: you have to go all the way through paypal (without putting the code in) and THEN it takes you back to the Muse page and you put the coupon code in there before you finish the transaction. It confused me too!
Thanks for the hints on sizing… i’m a similar shape to you, so maybe I’ll size down a bit too. I’ve got it all printed and taped and ready to sew this weekend!
I look forward to seeing it!
It’s lovely and you are standing in one of my most favourite places in the entire world! 🙂
The Featherston river?? Or my backyard! Heh
Um, YES.
So much yes.
Ooo, I really like this one! I’ve also been looking for the perfect cardigan to sew for years (although since taking up knitting, that search sort of died off). This pattern – the version with the gathers at the shoulder – looks so much like my old favourite cardigan that finally kicked the bucket years ago! Obviously I need to go buy this patterns now – I even have a lovely black french terry and also a purple double knit that might need to be used up.
Thanks for the lovely review!
Perfect! And while it doesn’t replace cute knitted cardigans, it’s a lot quicker so you can have both!
I LOVE these style cardigans for when I travel. So easy to throw in a bag for chilly restaurants or airplane rides. Even though this pattern runs a little smaller than my size, I will give it a try. Thanks for this great pattern review!
Yes! For me it’s perfect because I work in a temperature-controlled environment, so I need a light but warm cardigan to get by.
Hopefully it’s not too difficult to make bigger!
Oh alright then! I’ve been humming and hawing about getting this for a few days now: it appears to have finally fallen into my shopping basket. I think I also need about ten of them. You look a total treat in it! I love the blue one. 😀
And then tumbled further into your email account? Heh.
So cute! I bet the yoke would provide the perfect place to do a FBA – just draw in your usual FBA, then rotate the fullness to the gathers (the directions I use for rotating darts are here: http://rustybobbin.com/blog/?p=355).
Yes! What a great idea!
I’ve bought this pattern already (boo, missed out on the discount!) and I’m really excited about making it up! I have McCall’s 6708 and was actually going to adapt it to have a ’40s style yoke, but now I don’t have to. I love the fit and the deep waistband of the Jenna cardie, but I’ve noticed in the few examples I’ve seen that the seam of the yoke is rather wavy due to the gathers, so I’m wondering if stabilising tape might help. I was considering piping details, but that would look awful if it doesn’t sit properly. I’m also a little wary of the construction of the front band. The way it is attached leaves an exposed seam, and I just feel that with any kind of jacket that could be worn open, that all seams should be hidden, bound or french. I might follow the construction of the McCall’s pattern for that one. I absolutely agree that a V-neck version would be fabulous.
I wonder if it’s more to do with the top stitching rather than the gathers – or the size of the yoke, as I have quite narrow shoulders. I don’t think tape would help but I’ll try stabilizing the yoke seam with interfacing before sewing it to the top next time, to see if that helps.
You could enclose the seam but it would be really fiddly, and I can’t think of any way around that as you’d have to basically do it like a shirt button band (stitch, press under the seam allowance, then top stitch). How is the McCall’s one attached? Unfortunately I can’t even compare it to RTW garments because the RTW cardigans I have are knitted in such a way that there isn’t a seam at all. I’ll try and get a chance to look at some RTW versions, but I’m fairly sure that most knit cardigans DO have an exposed seam, it’s just a very narrow overlocked seam.
Too cute! I love all of the variations available.
Me too! I will make the longer version one day, once I have about 10 cropped versions 😀