Slouchy Cardi DIY

EEK!!! Ok, ok, ok – I seriously cannot contain my excitement over this post.

To most people it is simply a basic slouchy cardigan. But to me, it is comfort all-day-errrry-day this Fall. I guess my excitement truly stems from the fact that I never feel like I have the right cover up to wear. I am always looking for that perfect sweater, that perfect cover up to throw on over a t-shirt or casual dress. And I feel like I totally NAILED IT this time.

Fall 2016 will be all about the slouchy cardi, at least for me. I’ve got my basic pattern now, and you can too. It is SOOOOO simple – I plan on making a new one from every fabulous knit fabric or sweater fabric I find!

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Slouchy Cardi DIY

How to sew a slouchy cardigan

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Skill level: Advanced Beginner (familiar sewing with knits)
Time needed: 1-2 hours

 

MATERIALS:

• 2 – 2.5 yds knit fabric
• Old sweater for tracing around (raglan shape works best)
• Large piece of white paper
• Marker / pen
• Universal ball point sewing needle
• Coordinating thread
• Rotary cutter / fabric scissors
• Pins
• Sewing machine (serger not required)

 

HOW TO SEW A SLOUCHY CARDIGAN:

To make the slouchy cardigan pattern:

1. Lay your current sweater in half (on the fold) on top of your tracing paper.  Trace around the front center fold, and your neckline as is. I lengthened the front fold of my pattern to my desired sweater length.  Follow the general path of the shoulder seam down to the sleeve hemline. You want a basic, slightly curved line all the way down. (My previous sweater was a 3/4 sleeve length, so I extended the pattern sleeve to make a long sleeve cardi pattern.) From the bottom front center fold of your new pattern piece, create the curve of the bottom hem towards the side seam of the sweater. Lastly, draw an arc from the bottom hem side seam, to the sleeve bottom – almost like you are making a curved triangle for the sleeve. This will be your BACK PATTERN PIECE, you will cut (1) on the fold.
2. To create your FRONT PATTERN PIECE, draw a slightly curved straight line from the edge of the back neckline to the bottom hem of the sweater. (You are essentially cutting off the back fold portion from the back pattern piece.)  Cut (2) mirror images of the new front pattern piece.
3. To create the SLEEVE CUFF PIECE, measure the length of the sleeve hem. Subtract 1/2″ from the measurement, and make a rectangle this length x double your desired sleeve cuff width.
4. Lastly, you will need anywhere from 3.5 – 4.5 yards of a 4″ length strip of knit fabric. I simply cut a few 4″ strips of knit fabric selvage to selvage, and sewed them together at the side seam.

How to sew the slouchy cardigan:

1. Place your front and back slouchy cardigan pattern pieces right sides together, matching up the side and shoulder seams. Pin and sew the shoulder / upper sleeve, as well as the side seam. Repeat for both front pattern pieces. Press seam open.
2. Fold the long 4″ strip of fabric in half, wrong sides together, matching up the long outer edge. Press.
3. Pin the raw edge of the folded strip to the outer edge of the cardigan all around.
4. Sew, using a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving the first 1″ of fabric unsewn on the strip. When the strip meets up at the other end, after you have made it all around, stop and sew the strip ends together where they meet. Trim seam allowance, and press seam open. Finish sewing strip to the outer edge of the cardigan.

5. Press seam towards the inside of the sweater, and edge stitch all around to secure seam in place.
6. Fold sleeve cuff in half, right sides together, matching up the side seam edge. Pin and sew. Fold sleeve in half, wrong sides together, matching up the raw outer edges and enclosing the seam. Press.
7. Slip sleeve cuff over the cardi sleeve, matching up the raw edges and the side seam of the cardi with the seam of the cuff. Pin around and sew, using a zigzag stitch, stretch stitch or serger (if you have one).
8. Fold cuff down and press seam up. Repeat for both sleeve cuffs.

And you are finished!

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Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time…

Happy sewing!