Modal Kinders

If autumn was an object, surely it'd be a rust-coloured cardigan, no? My wardrobe is hardly a cardigan-free zone, but I felt an urge to own one that would offer my outfits a pop of colour. A pop of colour other than mustard, that is. Speaking of mustard cardis, I recently made another one, however this one was for my best mate Vic.  

Pattern:

For both these cardigans, I used the Kinder cardigan pattern from Wendy Ward's 'A Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics' book. I was given this book for free when I participated in the blog tour, and I must admit that this is still the only pattern I've used from that book so far. But oh how I've used it! I've made six Kinder cardigans so far, and I doubt these'll be the last.

Both these cardigans were made using the size medium. The rust version includes the separate cuff piece and hip length pieces. Vic's mustard one is effectively a copy of my own mustard one, which has the plain sleeve, and is in-between the waist and hip lengths included in the original pattern. I omitted the pockets on both these because I felt the fabric is too stretchy. 

Fabric:

Speaking of fabric, for both of these I used some beautiful modal french terry from Fabric Godmother (mustard for Vic's, terracotta for mine, but I'm calling it rust!). As far as is possible, I'm really trying to only use great quality fabric for my sewing projects these days, especially for basics like cardigans that are likely to get tons of wear. If I'm buying virgin fabric, I've got to give the finished project every chance of having a long, useful lifespan. 

Thoughts:

As if you couldn't tell, I really love this fabric: it's soft and has really excellent stretch/recovery. As modal's a regenerated fibre, it's super drape-y, which limits the cardigan patterns it can be used for. But a simple, no-frills style like the Kinder makes the most of that quality. 

Sewing Basics for Everybody Blog Tour: Harper Pants

Seeing as we can't go on any other kind of tour at the moment, let's go on a blog tour! Wendy Ward's latest book, 'Sewing Basics For Everybody', is a collection of patterns designed to produce a capsule wardrobe of simple garments suitable for everyone, regardless of gender, age or body shape. It's a really interesting idea, and firmly in keeping with the growth of inclusivity in the sewing scene, and in society more generally. The book contains graded sewing patterns for five types of garments, with pattern pieces for three-to-five variations of each garment included, along with lots of idea and info on how to create many more styles. 

To be suitable for the widest variety of body shapes, the styles are all pretty loose-fitting and unisex. And if that kind of silhouette and aesthetic are your bag, you're going to want to check this book out. This blog post represents the third stop of six on the tour to see some of the styles made up on a variety of sewing bloggers. Here we go...

Pattern:

I accepted the invitation to make a garment for this blog tour before the UK corona virus lockdown was a thing. Initially, I had big plans for a hack of the Kim jumpsuit project. However, once lockdown became a reality, the space in my brain available for this project narrowed, and the gap in my wardrobe for a nice pair of comfy trousers widened! My attentions and plans therefore switched to the Harper pants pattern.

The Harper pants are a wide legged trouser pattern that Wendy has cleverly developed to be the basis for a number of different looks. The waist can be elasticated, or can have front pleats, a waistband and fly front fastening. The legs can be cropped or full length, and a genius way to form a harem-style with an ankle pleat is offered.

There are three styles of trouser specifically set out in the Harper pants section, but I chose to combine some of the elements in a different combo that would be more suitable to my current needs. I wanted these trousers to be work-from-home and homeschooling friendly, so I chose the comfier, elasticated waist option. (And because lockdowners can't be choosers, I had to alter the width of the waistband to suit the only wide elastic I had in my stash.) I really wanted to try that clever harem-style, tapered ankle detail, so I threw that into the mix as well. 

Like most pattern books, you need to find your chosen pattern pieces on the pattern sheets included and trace them off onto paper before you can begin. My one issue with this was that the trouser pattern pieces aren't all on the same pattern sheet. No doubt the design of the pattern sheets has been done that way to conserve paper, but I was glad that I was only having to locate three pattern pieces for my project. The sizing is based on body measurements and finished garment measurements. If you have a curvier shape, you may find you need to combine and blend between sizes, as the patterns are designed for a waist/hip measurement difference, for example, that isn't as great as most of the women's pattern companies' sizing range you may be used to working with. Wendy gives a TON of information on taking measurements, and masses of additional advice about picking the right size for you.   

As for sewing these pants, as you would expect, they came together quickly. I can really see that the style would suit a variety of fabrics, but I'm very happy with the linen that I picked. Which leads me to...

Fabric:

Wendy's publisher got us a hook up with UK-based, online fabric seller, Fabworks, for this tour. We were able to use the fabric of our choice from their website, providing there was enough in stock to fulfil future orders that may follow from the tour. We were also encouraged to order samples so we could have a good feel before committing to our selection. After having checking out samples of a few options, I went for the Slubby Linen & Cotton in Tawny. Oh my goodness it's lovely! It's got a fine, textured, linen look, yet it doesn't really crumple in the way you'd expect a fabric with linen content to do. 

The colour is a caramel-y brown, a shade or two away from my beloved rust. I wasn't too sure if this colour would be too brown-brown for me, so I made sure to use cotton thread in case I decided to dye them further down the line. Yet I doubt I will now as this colour is really growing on me. I'm not sure I could carry if off closer to my face, yet on my bottom half, in particular when paired with navy, black or white, I think it looks really good. 

Thoughts:

It was really great to be part of a blog tour again. It doesn't seem so common an occurrence these days as it used to. And this really is a book that's worth checking out, especially if looser, simpler styles are your thing. Wendy is a phenomenal font of sewing knowledge, and she ploughs soooo much of it into her books. Even if you're a pretty experienced sewer, there's a lot of information, techniques and tips you're likely to absorb by reading through this book. 

As for the trousers themselves, it was fun to experiment with a style that is a slight step out of my comfort zone. There's a bit more volume going on, and they sit higher on my waist than I'm used to. I'm going to wear them a few times to see if I can get into it. Making them was a very pleasant experience, thanks to both the construction method and the lovely fabric. And I particularly enjoyed creating the unusual ankle pleat detail. 

I recommend that you visit the other participants in this blog tour. Mercedes and Fiona have already shared their fantastic and inspired garments created with patterns from this book, and I'm so excited to see the rest.

'A Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics' Blog Tour: The Kinder Cardigan

Pack your bags, grab your passport and ask your neighbour to feed the cat; we're going on a blog tour! Wendy Ward (my IRL boss, FYI), has written another fabulous sewing book, this time all about sewing with knit fabrics. As well as MASSES of information about choosing and working with knit fabrics, this book includes graded sewing patterns to make 6 basic projects with heaps of additional variations. The pattern pieces are printed on the three double-sided pattern sheets at the back of the book.

Pattern:

It didn't take me long to decide on the Kinder cardigan pattern to try out. The weather can vary a lot during one day in the UK, plus I'm usually feeling cold anyway, therefore I have a deep appreciation for a good cardigan for layering up. The kimono-style Kinder cardigan pattern includes three lengths (short-, mid-length and full-length), two sleeve lengths, optional cuffs for the long sleeve length, AND optional pockets for the mid- and long-length cardigans. Having chosen the design elements you want, you then need to trace the pattern pieces off the pattern sheets. 

Tracing the pattern pieces off was probably the most time consuming part of this project. Because most of the Kinder cardigan pattern pieces are larger than the pattern sheets included in the book, most of them are extended over a couple of sheets. It was a bit annoying that all the cardigan pattern pieces were spread over all six sides of the pattern sheets, rather than all located on one sheet, but I'm sure there was a spacial/financial reason for designing the pattern sheets in this way.

Confession time: I messed up the tracing. I was aiming for the mid-length cardigan, rather than the short length that you see here. I got confused and read the 'hip line' that is marked on the pattern as the hip-length hem line (duh), and didn't realise what I'd done until I started construction so ended up making the short length instead. Entirely my fault. Anyways, after that blip, this cardigan came together in the blink of an eye. It would be an excellent confidence-building pattern for a beginner sewer/sewist, and a satisfyingly quick make for a more experienced one. 

Fabric:

For this review, I was lucky enough to be able to choose what fabric I wanted to make it in from the massive selection on the Minerva Crafts website. Queue: hours upon hours searching through their site. Eventually I requested some Atelier Brunette sweatshirting, annoyingly I can no longer find it on their site so I'm guessing they've sold out, but they do have this slightly different design in alternative colour-ways in the same weight. 

I've seen these Atelier Brunette sweatshirt fabrics used on blogs and Instagram many times before but couldn't really justify shelling out £20+ a metre for sweatshirt fabric myself. But now I have had the opportunity to feel, work with and wear it, I can totally see what all the fuss is about and why it is so special. My goodness it is soft and lovely, and washes really well without the sparkles coming off. 

So after making and loving my first version, I knew I wanted to make another, and fast. I found this lovely quilted/embossed ponte de Roma at Fabric Godmother at their recent open day, and I can't recommend it enough for making a snuggly cardigan like this. Having found the right fabric, I then went back and traced the *ahem* correct length pattern pieces for the mid-length cardigan, and two evening sewing sessions later (one for cutting, one for construction), my new favourite garment was complete. 

Thoughts:

This is exactly the style of cardigan that I feel my wardrobe needs right now. My style has moved away from the retro/rockabilly look that befits little, round-necked, vintage-y type cardis, and my  jeggings-and-tops Mum uniform that I'm permanently found in these days works so much better with this looser, open front cardigan style. I've also found that the sleeves of this pattern are the perfect width: wide enough to be worn with ease over all my long sleeved tops but narrow enough to also fit under my jackets and coats. I've been layering my Kinders over fine knit jumpers during the horrible, chilly weather we've been having recently, and I can't wait to use them as jackets over short sleeved tops and T-shirts once the weather warms up. Oh, and I have at least two more Kinder cardigans planned...

Blog tour and discount code: 

This post is the first stop on the 'A Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics' blog tour, and there's some other fabulous sewers lined up along the way. I have been provided with the handy image below (handy for me because it means I don't need to type them all out) to show you when and where else you can see Wendy's new knit patterns in action. If you like what you see and fancy snapping up a copy of this book, then MAKEetc.com are offering a sizeable 25% off the price by typing in the code BLOG25 at the check out until 21st April.