We had a serious end of summer heat wave that made me think summer would last forever, but we’ve begun having decidedly chilly mornings (like low 50’s F) so I guess we’re moving on to fall. I stitched up the Abby Cardi from StyleArc because I can never have too many cardigans for layering up. I used a cotton/poly blend interlock from a local store. I usually try to avoid poly blends, but this felt so very soft, and was in the absolute perfect color.
The thing I like about this cardigan is that it has a nice drape for the front, but doesn’t overwhelm you with fabric. I also really like how minimal the fabric is in the shawl collar. Sometimes having too much fabric weighing on the back of my neck gives me headaches, and I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that here.
The construction is fairly simple, but mitered corners at the shoulder/neck join are always a pain. The instructions don’t mention it, but definitely stay stitch around the corners before snipping into them. With the instructions as vague as they are, it took me a bit of head scratching to figure out where everything was supposed to align. Once I chucked the directions and started working it out on my own, it all came together super fast. I went for a nice clean finish on the collar/facing, and did a nifty burrito roll to encase the neckline seam.
The drape front is left with a raw edge, as is the entire hem. I prefer to avoid raw hems when possible, so I added a hem allowance to the back piece so I could hem that part, while leaving the front as is. I think this worked nicely, and I would definitely do it the same way in the future.
Here’s a few detail shots…
fold over facing from the inside, raw edge encased
added hem allowance to the back piece, front edge left raw
hem from the inside
As far as fit is concerned, I added some width from waist to hem on the side seams to accommodate my hips. The shoulder seam is falling off my shoulder a bit (I think I have somewhat narrow shoulders) and I wouldn’t mind an extra inch in sleeve length (I hemmed them at 1/2″ instead of the drafted 1″ to preserve a tiny bit of length). The sleeves were also a touch wide, so I trimmed them down.
Overall I’m very pleased with this pattern. The fact that it isn’t a fabric hog is a huge bonus. It was one of StyleArc’s free patterns of the month, and I’m glad I had it on hand when I had the itch for a new cardigan!
—lisa g.
TL;DR
PATTERN: StyleArc Abby Cardi
FABRIC: cotton/poly interlock knit from Fabric Basement (local)
SIZE: 8 (measurements for reference: 5’8″/34″/27.5″/39″)
MODS: Added hem allowance to the back piece
ALTERATIONS: added width at the hip, narrowed sleeve
NEXT TIME: bring in shoulder seam, lengthen sleeve
It looks really good!! And just perfect for the slightly cooler temps.
Thank you! It’s already been worn a lot!
That looks like a great pattern! And I really like the way you treated the back seam – much better than leaving it raw!
If I can avoid a raw hemline, I definitely will. Thank you!
This is going to get a lot of wear. I love pieces that look put together but feel super cozy. And it’s a great color for you!
Yes, those are the best! Thank you 🙂
Excellent job Lisa! It looks very stylish yet still comfy! Enjoy your Autumn (Fall) weather. Spring has just sprung, here in sunny Brisbane (Australia). Yay! 🙂
Thank you! Sometimes draped cardigans just end up looking sloppy; happily this one doesn’t. Enjoy your spring!
The fit is really nice, Lisa. It’s a bit wide in the shoulders but it looks like part of the design.
I can tell that the droopy shoulder is affecting how the sleeve hangs, but I’m not stressing about it. Happily, it’s an easy fix for next time. Thank you!
Ah, no wonder yours looks so good – I think adding to the waist and narrowing the sleeves really elevated the style from the original.
I knew if the sleeves were too wide I wouldn’t be able to push them up, as I am in the habit of doing! It’s a handy pattern to have in the arsenal, I’m sure it’ll be a repeat!
Lovely! Such a lovely neckline. It’s funny, it can be a bit hard to find good shawl collar instructions….. I found the ones in my recent McCalls cardi to be the best I’ve found so far.
The wordage of the shawl instructions was just plain odd! For some reason the foldover facing threw me off, but that could have just been my foggy brain at the time… haha! Thank you!
The drape on this one is perfect. Like you I do not like raw edges… It seems so unfinished! Did you use a double needle to hem or a coverstitch?
The proportions on this pattern are spot on! I used a coverstitch for hemming… never could get good results with the twin needle!
I love this pattern – great to see it made up, it certainly doesn’t disappoint! I always like that you so concisely cover the fit – now I know I should be able to make it up quickly with zero changes (broad shouldes and shorty arms here hehe).
The front drape has such lovely proportions. How do you think the raw edges will wear? I’m not a huge fan either, but with the right fabric it can be really cool.
Thank you! I think the raw edge will be just fine. Interlock is rarely my fabric of choice (doesn’t have good recovery) but it works perfectly here since it has no right side, it doesn’t curl, and it gets nice “wear” at the cut edge without looking frayed or messy. Hope you get around to making one, it’s a nice quick project!
This looks really great Lisa! I imagine you will get a ton of wear out of it. I like that you left the front hem raw.
Thank you! I’m pleased with the raw front edge too–hemming it somehow would have ruined the drape!