Friday, October 27, 2017

Claire Cardigan Sewing Pattern Day 5

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Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 5

Welcome to our Claire Cardigan Sew Along!! (PATTERN HERE!) Use coupon: SAVE40 at checkout to save 40% OFF your entire purchase! 

Today is Day 5 and it is time to start sharing!! Come join our FACEBOOK GROUP HERE and share a picture of yourself wearing your Claire Cardigan sewing pattern or share it on instagram #seaminglysmitten and #clairecardigan   Next Friday I am choosing 3 WINNERS for some fabulous PRIZES!!

Want to see what I made?? Here is mine in a hacci sweater from Girl Charlee Fabrics, long length, side slit and pockets! I don't think I will take it off all Fall!




Day 1 Choose your fabric CLICK HERE
Day 2 Cut your fabric CLICK HERE
Day 3 Pin and Sew CLICK HERE

Love a video? Come watch me sew on you tube! 

Day 4 Hem CLICK HERE
Day 5 Share a pic to WIN a prize!! Find all our prizes HERE

 


Click here to see all the  PRIZES YOU CAN WIN!! 


Thursday, October 26, 2017

Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 4

Become an affiliate HERE and earn commission on each sale!


Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 4 

Welcome to our Claire Cardigan Sew Along!! (PATTERN HERE!) Use coupon: SAVE40 at checkout to save 40% OFF your entire purchase! 

Day 1 Choose your fabric CLICK HERE
Day 2 Cut your fabric CLICK HERE
Day 3 Pin and Sew CLICK HERE
Day 4 Hem 
Day 5 Share a pic to WIN a prize!!
Click here to see all the  PRIZES YOU CAN WIN!! 


Today is the easy day!! All we are going to do is hem. 

1. Hem your side slits. To do this I simply turn under a 3/8 inch hem, which is the same width as the seam allowance. Press with an iron and pin. 

Sew around your side slits using a 3/8 inch seam allowance, making sure you box out the top instead of making it into a v. 


2. Hem the front edge and neckline of the cardigan by folding under a 3/8 inch hem. Pin and sew all the way around to secure. Press with an iron.

3. Try on the cardigan and mark the hem you desire. Hem the lower edge of the cardigan by
folding under a 3/8 inch hem (or up to the hem line you just marked). Pin and sew all
the way around to secure.

You did it!! You finished your Claire Cardigan and I hope you had fun sewing it and absolutely LOVE wearing it even more!!

SHARE  A PHOTO TO WIN PRIZES!! 
Starting today you can add a photo to our Seamingly Smitten FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE HERE or add a photo to instagram and use hashtags #seaminglysmitten or #clairecardigan so we can find your entries!!

Next Friday 3 winners will be chosen!  We have some FABULOUS prizes from some AMAZING Sponsors!! Starting this Friday, October 27th, you will be able to start sharing photos of your Claire Cardigan for 1 week! Next Friday, November 3rd, 3 winners will be chosen! Want to hear about them?


First Place Winner will receive:
 1 MRFB of Sly Fox Fabrics (up to $95 VALUE) 
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit!

 What?!? Yes!! Thank you so much to Katy Kemper of Sly Fox Fabrics for donating such a fab prize!! Check out all of her gorgeous fabrics at SLY FOX FABRICS!




Second Place Winner will receive 

a $20 store credit to So Sew English Fabrics
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit

Thank you so much to Chey Ferris for donating this! AND she is offering everyone $5 OFF your $30+ purchase using code 5OFFSAL at checkout (Texas Fundraising Fabric not included). Check out her bundles, too, here at So Sew English Fabrics!






Third Place Winner will receive 

$20 Amazon Gift Card
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit 

Go finish sewing and come share a photo!!


Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 3


Become an affiliate HERE and earn commission on each sale!


Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 3 

Welcome to our Claire Cardigan Sew Along!! (PATTERN HERE!) Use coupon: SAVE40 at checkout to save 40% OFF your entire purchase! 

Day 1 Choose your fabric CLICK HERE
Day 2 Cut your fabric CLICK HERE
Day 3 Pin and Sew
Day 4 Hem 
Day 5 Share a pic to WIN a prize!!
Click here to see all the  PRIZES YOU CAN WIN!! 

Day 3 is time to sew!

Want the video version? Come watch me sew it here:


1. If you are adding pockets, hem the top edge of your pocket 1/2 an inch. Pin and sew. Press back the left side, right side and bottom edge of your pocket. 


2. Lay your front cardigan pieces right side up. Place your pockets ____inches below
the top inner edge and centered. Pin.
Petite: 21 inches
Regular: 22 inches
Tall: 23 inches


3. Sew around the sides and bottom edge of your pockets.


4. Lay the back piece right side up and lay the cardigan fronts right sides down. Match and pin the shoulders and side seams. Make sure to mark where you want your side slit to begin.



5. Sew along the shoulders and side seams, making sure to stop sewing where you want your side slit to begin. 


6. Lay your sleeves right side together, pin and sew along the bottom edge. 


7. With cardigan inside out and sleeves right side out, insert the sleeves into the armholes, beginning with the wrist edge first until the entire sleeve in inside the armhole. Match the side seam of the cardigan and sleeve seam first and pin. Match the center of the sleeve to the shoulder seam of the cardigan and pin. Continue evenly pinning each sleeve.



8. Sew around each sleeve using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. 



Turn right side out and see what you made!! Now is a great time to try on your cardigan! 
Tomorrow we will hem the bottom, neckline and front and side slits!
See you then!



Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 2

Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 2


Assembling the pattern and Cutting the Fabric


Become an affiliate HERE and earn commission on each sale!

Welcome to our Claire Cardigan Sew Along!! (PATTERN HERE!) Use coupon: SAVE40 at checkout to save 40% OFF your entire purchase! 

Day 1 Choose your fabric CLICK HERE
Day 2 Cut your fabric
Day 3 Pin and Sew
Day 4 Hem 
Day 5 Share a pic to WIN a prize!!


Yesterday we talked about choosing your fabric and all the PRIZES YOU CAN WIN!!  You can find that post HERE. Today we are going to assemble the pattern and cut out the fabric. Let's get started!

1. Printing your patternWhen you print, make sure your printer is set to Page Scaling NONE or Print at 100%. Make sure your 1 inch square or 5cm square measures correctly.
**A0 Copy Shop Printing: If you are printing in A0 format, print the last page of this pattern on a large format printer. No taping required. 

Assembling your pattern - I like to make a stack of one row at a time (4 pages) and trim along the bottom and right side of each page. Then I lay out the pages horizontally and match up the diamond shapes along the page borders until I have my top row completed and tape. I always tape at the cutting lines of my size, so as I cut out, it will stick together.


Pages trimmed and diamonds matched for top row
Then take your next row of pages (4 pages), stack and trim the bottom and right sides. Lay out your second row and tape together.
 Repeat until your pattern is complete.



2. Choosing your size. For the cardigan pattern I chose my size based on my bust size. Look at the size chart on page 2 to find your size. 

Determining cardigan length:  You can easily add on length to this cardigan! Some of you may want to make a longer version or even a duster cardigan! Simply lower the bottom horizontal line as many inches as you need. That will be your new hem cutting line. To get the perfect length, measure from the top of your shoulder down to where you want your cardigan hem to hit and write that down. To do this, I measure from my shoulder, down and over my bust and down to my mid thigh. I want a desired final length of 31 inches. When I cut, I will make sure from the top of the shoulder pattern piece down to the bottom hem is 32 inches because I need to add 1 inch for seam allowance and lower hem. 

Determining sleeve length: To measure the sleeve length you need, measure from the top of your arm to 1 inch below your wrist while your arm is slightly bent. I get 23 inches and then I add 1 inch to get a sleeve length of 24 inches. Some of you may want to add extra length if you like to tuck your hands into your sleeves when you are chilly!  

When I measure the length of my sleeve pattern piece I need to cut mine at 24 inches long if I am not adding a cuff. If you are adding a cuff, you will subtract 3 from your number and make sure your sleeve length is long enough. If I was adding  a cuff I would make sure my sleeve is 24 - 3 = 21 inches long. 

If you are adding cuffs, cut two strips
according to size:
XS: 8 inches long x 8.25 inches wide
Small: 8 inches long x 8.5 inches wide
Medium: 8 inches long x 9 inches wide
Large: 8 inches long x 9.5 inches wide
XLarge: 8 inches long x 10 inches wide
XXLarge: 8 inches long x 10.5 inches wide
XXLarge: 8 inches long x 11 inches wide

3. Cut out your pattern pieces Using the measurements taken above, cut out your pattern pieces for the cardigan bodice (cutting along the higher BACK neckline) and sleeve.


4. Cut out a back piece. Lay your cardigan BACK on the fold and cut around your pattern piece.

5. Cut out a front piece. Trim along the cardigan front neckline, lay your pattern piece on your folded fabric and cut around your front pattern piece. This is NOT cut on the fold. I placed it close to the fold to save fabric.


6. Cut out your sleeves. Lay your sleeve pattern piece on the fold. Cut around your pattern piece and repeat so you have 2 sleeves.

7. Cut out pockets (optional).

XS, S or Medium 8 in long x 7 in wide
L, XL, XXL or XXXL 9 in long x 8 in wide


You're done for the day!!
All your pattern pieces are ready and tomorrow you sew!!
Hope to see you then!
Need some encouragement to finish?? How about some AMAZING PRIZES?? See below!


Thank you to our fabulous sponsors!

Guess what? We have some FABULOUS prizes from some AMAZING Sponsors!! Starting this Friday, October 27th, you will be able to start sharing photos of your Claire Cardigan for 1 week! Next Friday, November 3rd, 3 winners will be chosen! Want to hear about them?


First Place Winner will receive:
 1 MRFB of Sly Fox Fabrics (up to $95 VALUE) 
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit!

 What?!? Yes!! Thank you so much to Katy Kemper of Sly Fox Fabrics for donating such a fab prize!! Check out all of her gorgeous fabrics at SLY FOX FABRICS!




Second Place Winner will receive 

a $20 store credit to So Sew English Fabrics
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit

Thank you so much to Chey Ferris for donating this! AND she is offering everyone $5 OFF your $30+ purchase using code 5OFFSAL at checkout (Texas Fundraising Fabric not included). Check out her bundles, too, here at So Sew English Fabrics!






Third Place Winner will receive 

$20 Amazon Gift Card
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit 

Happy Sewing!!

Monday, October 23, 2017

Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 1

Claire Cardigan Sew Along Day 1
Choosing Your Fabric

Become an affiliate HERE and earn commission on each sale!

Welcome to our Claire Cardigan Sew Along!! (PATTERN HERE!) Use coupon: SAVE40 at checkout to save 40% OFF your entire purchase! Hundreds of you have bought the pattern and I am thrilled to be sharing this sew along with you! Need some inspiration??



 Guess what? We have some FABULOUS prizes from some AMAZING Sponsors!! Starting this Friday, October 27th, you will be able to start sharing photos of your Claire Cardigan for 1 week! Next Friday, November 3rd, 3 winners will be chosen! Want to hear about them?


First Place Winner will receive:
 1 MRFB of Sly Fox Fabrics (up to $95 VALUE) 
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit!

 What?!? Yes!! Thank you so much to Katy Kemper of Sly Fox Fabrics for donating such a fab prize!! Check out all of her gorgeous fabrics at SLY FOX FABRICS!




Second Place Winner will receive 

a $20 store credit to So Sew English Fabrics
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit

Thank you so much to Chey Ferris for donating this! AND she is offering everyone $5 OFF your $30+ purchase using code 5OFFSAL at checkout (Texas Fundraising Fabric not included). Check out her bundles, too, here at So Sew English Fabrics!






Third Place Winner will receive 

$20 Amazon Gift Card
and a $25 Seamingly Smitten store credit 


Let's get started!


Day 1 Choose your fabric
Day 2 Cut your fabric
Day 3 Pin and Sew
Day 4 Hem 
Day 5 Share a pic to WIN a prize!!


Day 1: Time to choose your fabric! Friday in this BLOG POST  I talked about all the different types of knit fabric that you can use to make your cardigan. I have made one in 2 different fabrics so far, like this jersey sweater knit (below). It is a medium weight knit that draped very nicely and has just the right amount of stretch to retain its shape throughout the day! My mom loved it so much I actually gave it to her and she's worn it at least 3 times last week, so I think it's a winner!
The second one is made from a jersey knit fabric that does not have as much stretch as the blue cardigan above. It is the perfect cardigan weight to keep you warm, but not too warm during those fall months!

For this week's cardigan I am going to use this hacci sweater knit. I draped it over my mannequin to see how it will fall and I am already excited about this one! It is an open weave knit so air flows more freely through it, but I am loving the color and texture of it. I am going to use a larger seam allowance when I sew, because I know this fabric stretches while worn and I do not want it to come out too large :) 



 Make sure you wash and dry your fabric today per the directions on the bolt! Pre-washing is very important when sewing with knits, because knits tend to shrink. I always wash my knits on cold water, gentle cycle and I tumble dry them on low. Once you sew your cardigan, this gives you the option of washing and drying it each time you wear it, or even simply washing and then hanging or laying flat to dry. But if you start sewing with a knit before pre-washing and shrinking, your cardigan will not fit the same way once it is washed and dried. That's why it is important to pre-wash! :) 

What fabric are you using today??

Share a pic on fb or comment below! 

Go ahead and print and assemble your pattern today or you can wait until tomorrow! Tomorrow we will cut out the pattern with your fabric and I hope you come back to join us!
Thanks for sewing along!!