Friday, February 12, 2010

Jalie 2919: Simple with Details

I now am a big fan of the new Jalie 2919 cardigan! This pattern was simple and quick to sew. I cut it out one night last week and sewed it the next afternoon. Yet, the pleat details make it appear more complex, IMHO. From the reviews on Pattern Review, I knew that it was snug so I made it up one size from what I usually do with Jalie patterns. It is still too snug across the shoulders and in the armscye. I plan to make the pattern again, but I will fix those two problems first. Also, I have very thin arms and the sleeves fit pretty tight and are still long although I shortened them 2" as I usually do. I'll just shorten the sleeves and keep the width. I could see where the sleeves could be a problem for anyone without toothpick arms. I used a very stretchy 4-way cotton polyester knit. I did cut off 1/2" from the lapels so that I could fit all my pattern pieces on the fabric. (I barely had enough scraps to test my serger stitch.) Next time I'll make it with the original lapel pattern. The fabric had more than enough stretch, according to the Jalie chart so this cardigan is just snug. I'm wearing it with a short sleeve RTW top. I really need to make a tank top to wear with this cardigan. That will help with a bit of the snugness. Overall, I still love this cardigan!
Now, there's a picture of the snug back.

The pleats are straight when the cardigan is on the sewing table. There's some pulling going on because of the tight shoulders. That doesn't bother me enough to try to fix it until next time. The cardigan looks a lot better when I'm not standing still and checking every detail. That's how we improve as sewers, right?

The pants are My Label made from polyester fabric. They were quick to make and are very comfortable. I know the fabric won't last long so I didn't put in the effort that I would with quality fabric. I need to use stash and the fabric is too nice for just a muslin. I'll enjoy wearing the cardigan. It's done and I'm moving on.

1 comment:

gwensews said...

That is cute. I imagine it's perfect for your climate, and for an air conditioned building, as well. Nice job!