I’ve made a dotty little cardigan 🙂 Yes, it seems like I’m turning out new stuff everyday, but the truth is that some of my recent items have been finished for up to a few weeks or more and it is just my photo-taking that has been lagging. Not the pink lingerie, which I really did only finish yesterday. But certainly this cardigan and my yellow skirt. I have me-made May to thank for kicking me into action, photo-wise 🙂
I bought this coffee and black polka-dot knit fabric in Tokyo while shopping there in January with Yoshimi and Cassie. I can’t remember the name of the store but think it was Yoshimi’s favourite knit store? The fabric came in several colour ways, each of which I loved! at first sight! with a passion! and it was soooo hard to pick just one. I spent ages and ages, dithering over the gold, the teal, the purple, the coffee. Obviously coffee won in the end, but there was inner angst at leaving the others behind. The store owner gave us each a pen and a lolly, just for shopping, or maybe to thank me for leaving at last 😉
I bought another absolutely divine burnt-chocolate knit at the same store, another hard-thought out decision. Seriously, the fabric shopping in Tokyo is too fabulous for words. I would so love to go every year!
So, I like polka dots, but I particularly like them if they are either :
A. a bit randomly placed
B. irregularly sized and
C. a bit splodgy and undefined in their outline
Yes, yes and yes. This one ticked all the boxes!
The design is based roughly upon the shape of a favourite RTW cardigan with a few minor shaping modifications. I sewed all seams on my machine then finished the raw edges on my overlocker, and stabilised the shoulder seams inside with Seams Great, a gift from velosewer, thank you Maria!
I finished the hems and bands by hand because I wanted the finishes to be as invisible on the outside as possible. I applied a strip of iron-on interfacing to the quarter of the front band strip that was going to be the outside bit to stabilise it; sewed the band onto the front edge by machine, turned under the outer seam allowance and hand-stitched it down inside.
The buttonholes are by machine though. I practised a few buttonholes on scrap to make sure my machine wasn’t going to chew through the fabric before going at it for real. I was pretty pleased that they actually worked out pretty good 🙂
The black buttons are from Fabulous Fabrics.
Details:
Cardigan; my own design, coffee with black dot knit with only a little widthwise stretch.
Tshirt; never blogged, it’s just a plain self-drafted thing in beige jersey
Skirt; Burda style magazine 10/2010-136, (the Karl Lagerfeld skirt) lengthened, black wool suiting, details and my review of this pattern here
Tights; self-drafted, black merino, details here and my tutorial for drafting your own custom fit tights here
Shoes; Django and Juliette, from Zomp shoes
Sunnies; RayBan
Fabulous fabric, no wonder you had trouble choosing a colour way! The cardi is perfect for Perth this time of year. Well done with the buttonholes, can be tricky on a knit.
Oh Carolyn, I really love this cardigan. Thanks for sharing all the details of how you made it too. I have filed them away in the memory bank for use at a later date.
Yes please Caroyn, that offered tut would be welcome. At the cost of rtw knitwear in our country I am planning on trying my hand at making my own cardigans.
That is lovely – I also love the fact that the spots are irregular. The pattern is a keeper – I would expect to see lots more of these!
Thank you so much for showing your techniques, you hand work is fabulous!
Such a cute garment, it will go with everything and the style is perfect.
I do expect to see you make more of these.
Oh how I love a polka dot and this one is fabulous in it's irregularity. Another great little cardigan! An addition to your wardrobe that will work so well with everything else.
Beautiful cardigan! You really hit it on the head about irregular polka dots..that's how I like mine too! Your finishing is lovely!
Polka dots and a cardigan, what more could you want. I love it! Yes please to the "how-to".
This cardigan is truly lovely and I am so amazed that you didn't buy every colourway – such discipline. Having said that, you probably chose the best one.
Simply great ! I love it !
Cute!
An absolutely lovely cardigan! I always enjoy reading about your thought process(es!) and tutorials! Yes, please!
What a great little cardi!
Oooh Ireally like this! I have not thought to sew a cardigan and now you have me thinking about it with this fabulous knit I have coming today!
It's awesome, i love the pattern and the fabric:)great job!
Beautiful!! Those are my favorite sort of polka dots too, and I think you made the right color choice. Perfect!
thank you Kelly D 🙂
Your cardi is perfect… just the right amount of ease, such a flattering length, delicate placket, and of course those dots! Tell again….. you simply fuse a length of interfacing to the placket sections that will face front, both button and buttonhole side?
Your results are so polished.
Kathleen
Thank you Kathleen, and yes I applied a 1cm width strip (the width of the finished neckband) of iron-on interfacing to the quarter portion of the strip that would be the outermost layer
LOVE this fabric too and we have the same feelings on polka dots! What a great cardigan!!
That is a wonderful fabric, and a lovely cardigan. Thanks for the detail shots and the description of some of the techniques you used.
ewwwww pretty!!!! I too love polka dots! Your cardigan is just lovely!
Lovely cardigan! I really like the polkadots.
I like it – sophisticated and sly at the same time 🙂
Really nice cardigan and I completely agree on your list when to love polka dots particularly!
Hey Carolyn. Your cardi looks very impressive.
Happy to help as always. Thanks for the shout out too.
Love your cardi! I like irregular polka dot. I would love reading about finishes. Always struggle with V and wrap neckline on a knit
your favorite kinds of polka dots are also my favorite kinds of polka dots! this is a great cardi, i totally want one just like it!
Lovely, Carolyn. Thanks for the details on the band application and hemming.
Lovely! And I always like to see I'm not the only one who (occasionally) hems knit fabrics by hand 😉
This is amazing, I love it!
It turned out really nicely and I like the spots. They are quite grown up spots.
What a fab cardigan. I'm jealous of that trip to Japan!
Fantastic. Great colour way! Did you interface the button band before buttonholes?
Yes, I applied a 1cm width strip (the width of the finished neckband) of iron-on interfacing to the quarter portion of the strip that would be the outermost layer, as described in my post 🙂
Such a smart outfit. I adore your cardigan. Do you ever post yourself presents from your trips? Your fabric restrictions sound agonizing. On the other hand, I am still using fabric from my overseas trip 5 years ago… I dole it out as it is precious, but maybe I just have too much!
Gorgeous cardigan and love the polka dots.
What a lovely cardigan! I love the polka dots and it's a perfect colour for you!