The Sewing Place

The Emporia => In the wardrobe => Topic started by: Ploshkin on March 27, 2019, 11:34:56 AM

Title: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on March 27, 2019, 11:34:56 AM
Just a quickie after the jacketing marathon.  I've used this useful pattern once before.  Fabric is from Stoff & Stil.  They call it French Terry - I would just call it sweatshirt fabric.  It has a brushed back.  The bottom band & cuffs are cut from a piece of ribbing.  I only finished it on Monday and have nearly worn it to death already.
The fabric is pretty wide.  I had 1.5m but got this out of just over 0.5m so have about a metre left.  I'm hoping it's enough to get a sweatshirt from.
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Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ellabella on March 27, 2019, 11:44:47 AM
That looks a good and useful top @Ploshkin .

Off to investigate the pattern, just hope they make it big enough for me.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: sewingj on March 27, 2019, 11:50:00 AM
How is it fastened @Ploshkin ?  Are they poppers?  I`m a bit scared of them since trying once and not being able to put them in successfully!
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ohsewsimple on March 27, 2019, 11:54:00 AM
@sewingj you could always use the sew in poppas then sew a button on the top!
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on March 27, 2019, 12:17:41 PM
They are Prym snaps @sewingj I was scared of snaps for ages after a disastrous attempt with ones from Amazon but from a recommendation on here I got some Prym Vario Pliers & Prym snaps and have never looked back.  I actually got a set with the pliers and various types of fastenings & rivets.

By the way, I have just cut out a sweatshirt from the remaining fabric!
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ros on March 27, 2019, 17:12:16 PM
Thanks for the tip re quality snaps. I've been pondering about these for gardening shirts given how buttons tangle in the fruit netting horribly. Other alt is smocks of course.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: sewingj on April 03, 2019, 09:22:46 AM
@Ploshkin   is this the kit you bought for the Prym Vario Pliers?  There seem to be cheaper packs but I don`t think they include everything you might need

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prym-Sewing-Vario-Special-Press/dp/B00CYRRS4S/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1HA5H0VWDH6JB&keywords=prym+vario+pliers+kit&qid=1554279469&s=gateway&sprefix=Prym+vario%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-6
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on April 03, 2019, 09:35:58 AM
@sewingj  Yes it is.  Initially I found it very confusing because the various instruction leaflets are pictorial and I couldn't make head nor tail of them.  But I found a Prym instructional video on You Tube - no audio but it made sense and I could understand how to use the bits.  I then realised that the attachments you need for each type of fastening are adjacent to those fastenings in the box.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Missie on April 03, 2019, 09:55:33 AM
They call it French Terry - I would just call it sweatshirt fabric.  It has a brushed back. 

French Terry fabric is a knitted front with a backing that is looped rather than "fuzzed"; think Terry towelling so I would say that you are correct.

Lovely jacket by the way and love the fabric.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on April 03, 2019, 12:36:31 PM
I did wonder @Missie if it's to do with the type of knit that makes it terry.  I don't really know how to describe it but it isn't a single jersey knit like sweatshirt fabric usually is.

I've now made a sweatshirt out of the remainder of the fabric with the navy ribbing for the cuffs and neck band so that was a good buy from Stoff and Stil.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Sewingsue on April 03, 2019, 15:02:20 PM
@Ploshkin   is this the kit you bought for the Prym Vario Pliers?  There seem to be cheaper packs but I don`t think they include everything you might need

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prym-Sewing-Vario-Special-Press/dp/B00CYRRS4S/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1HA5H0VWDH6JB&keywords=prym+vario+pliers+kit&qid=1554279469&s=gateway&sprefix=Prym+vario%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-6
Not exactly cheap!
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on February 01, 2020, 13:41:28 PM
I have just whipped up another cardigan from this pattern (the last one has been, and is still being worn more than anything else).  I used French Terry from Stof and Stil again but it couldn't be more different.  It's quite a heavy weight and I would describe the back as almost felted rather than brushed.  It has very little stretch in either direction - I probably should have cut a size bigger - it's not too tight but without the stretch it feels tighter than my other one.  My overlocker laboured a bit chomping over seams.  I didn't put a cuff on this time, mainly because of the fabric thickness.  I just turned up a single hem on the sleeves.  I had my wits about me (unusually) and did the buttonholes before I attached the band.
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Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Efemera on February 01, 2020, 15:53:49 PM
I like that...off to look at the pattern.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Vezelay on February 02, 2020, 08:27:44 AM
I missed the original post in this thread - two great cardis and of course :) I've had my eye on this pattern for ages so thanks for the prompt. I can't quite believe you got that first one out of half a metre @Ploshkin . Magic trick or what!?

 
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on February 02, 2020, 09:12:26 AM
@Vezelay if you do use this pattern, I found the armholes quite small  - I reshaped them and the sleeve heads using the Lark tee pattern pieces which I know are right for me.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: UttaRetch on February 02, 2020, 13:51:51 PM
I've had my eye on the Jenna muse cardigan and have seen some great versions.

(https://images.patternreview.com/sewing/patterns/muse/jenna/jenna_line.jpg)

I am interested in the waist length version with full sleeves.  However, as with wrap dresses, I am always on the look out for other patterns.  -<
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Vezelay on February 02, 2020, 20:06:01 PM
@Vezelay if you do use this pattern, I found the armholes quite small  - I reshaped them and the sleeve heads using the Lark tee pattern pieces which I know are right for me.

Thanks for the reminder Ploshkin. So many indie pattern armholes are uncomfortably small that I always measure them now and often reshape. I've wasted three great pieces of fabric (not to mention sewing hours) by assuming "my size" would fit me. Good idea to combine the armholes of a pattern you know fits well.

Both yours must be the shorter variation of the Jenna - not sure which I'll make yet. I even checked Stoff and Stil for your blue fabric but it's long gone. :'(
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on February 02, 2020, 20:50:16 PM
@Vezelay the two I made are the longer version.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Vezelay on February 02, 2020, 22:28:33 PM
Ah right. I was just going by the number of buttons/poppers. Still can't get my head round the half metre. And I thought I was canny with pattern placement. Obviously I'm not trying hard enough!

Updated to confess I've only gone and bought the pattern  :). Plenty of half metre remnants in my stash...
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on February 03, 2020, 07:48:32 AM
That blue /green fabric seemed to be particularly wide and I managed to squeeze the sleeves in beside the rest.  Also, I didn't use the same fabric fir the bottom band or cuffs.  I think they were very generous with the 1.5m.  The back length of my green one is about 54cm
I had 1.5m for the purple one.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: jen on February 03, 2020, 09:10:53 AM
Thanks for the snaps tip. I have one cardi that's been hanging around for ages for lack of snaps that don't fall off.
Title: Re: Jenna Cardigan
Post by: Ploshkin on February 03, 2020, 09:34:40 AM
@jen I did have an issue with the bottom snap as there is more strain on it and it pulled through the back.  I reinforced behind it with a small piece of woven fabric and its been fine since.