You may already know but there's a new indie pattern company, Muse, and their first release is the really cute Jenna cardigan. If I had extra money right now (no, didn't get that job), I'd have bought the pattern. But since I didn't and, darn it I wasn't a tester (hint, hint), I had to settle for using it as inspiration. So I dug out my TNT Jalie 2566 twinset pattern and proceeded to hack away.
The hacking was pretty easy actually. I chopped off about 9" from the length and then added a 3" band at the hem and a 2" band at the sleeves. Both bands are folded, so the cutting width was actually 6-1/2" and 4-1/2", including seam allowances. The Jalie is also a vee neck with a continuous neck/button band vs. the Jenna's jewel neckline and separate neck and button bands. I left mine as is, since I prefer the vee over a jewel neck anyway.
I was really second-guessing cutting off all that length since such a short side seam looked almost comical to me, but the fabric is a cheap stashed sweater knit and I had enough to try it again if the hacking was a disaster. It wasn't. :-) The finished cardi could even be an inch shorter and still be all right.
What I didn't have extra of is interfacing. Even if I have to keep sewing from stash until that real job materializes, I'm going to have to break down and order some more interfacing since I'm seriously running out and nothing available local is even close to being suitable. (Will work for interfacing. hehehe) Having to be extra frugal these days, I did some creative piecing for the front bands.
Interfacing definitely was not optional for this squishy sweater knit since I had to put in 6 tiny buttonholes on a very narrow band. I am not exaggerating when I say I was holding my breath during each one, just waiting for my machine's auto buttonholer to screw up. Luckily, they all came out perfectly. And mostly spaced evenly.
Since the budget is also not allowing extraneous thread purchases, I went with what I have for the serger. I used overlocker grays in the needles to blend and regular turquoise in the loopers so the loops wouldn't contrast when the cardi flips open. The knit is actually much more aqua than the baby blue it appears to be in the top photo so these threads were a pretty good match.
Inside view - good blending job, right? I'm happy with it.
The buttons are Mother of Pearl from the Carolyn Norman collection. ;-) Mother of Pearl naturally has some teal-ish iridescence and goes nicely with this knit. Too bad the photo lies, but trust me ... they look really nice. And they're tiny so fit perfectly on the narrow band.
Lots of topstitching around the hem and sleeve bands and around the button/neck band.
I had just enough thread on this spool. Whew!
I'll probably wear it open, like this, but for the main photo it looked nicer buttoned up.
The blouse is a SBCC Mimosa made last year. I also made the skirt but I can't talk about that yet. ;-) The cardi is a perfect match for it and now I have a new outfit for Monday. It's still hot outside here and will be for a long while yet, but inside A/C is always chilly so layers are a must.
Even though my Jalie/Jenna hack is a successful knock-off and I can hack further for Jenna's gathered shoulder yoke view, I would still like to buy (or win) the actual pattern at some point because I think it's so cute and the sewing nerd in me wants to see the original. What can I say? I read patterns like others read magazines. ;-)
