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StyleMaker Fall Tour – Esme Cardigan

October 3, 2018 Beth – Sew DIY
StyleMaker Fall Tour – Esme Cardigan by Named Patterns | Sew DIY

Hi friends! Today is my stop on the Stylemaker Fabrics 2018 Fall Style tour. I participated in the tour a couple of years ago so I was thrilled and honored when Michelle asked me to participate again. Stylemaker Fabrics has an amazing (and huge) selection of high quality fabrics in a variety of fibers and prints. It’s expertly curated, organized by color AND they have a bunch of new fabrics specifically selected for Fall/Autumn. Make sure to check out the new fabrics and read on to see the fabric I selected and what I made with it.

StyleMaker Fall Tour – Esme Cardigan by Named Patterns | Sew DIY

For the tour, I decided to make the Esme Cardigan by Named Patterns and selected a luscious textured sweater knit fabric. The Esme Cardigan is a maxi length cardigan with front in-seam pockets, sleeve cuffs and a button band. At the end of last year I made the Jill Coatigan from Seamwork and wore it all winter. It’s the perfect weight for a not-that-cold Southern California winter. I did the Seamwork Design Your Wardrobe course earlier this year and the Esme was one of the patterns on my list from that project so I was super excited to try it out. Uncoincidentally, it’s also in the top three of my Fall sewing list.

StyleMaker Fall Tour – Esme Cardigan by Named Patterns | Sew DIY

I selected a size 8/10 based on the finished bust measurement of 48.5”. My bust is about 38.5” so I thought 10” of ease would be perfect. Going by the size chart I’m between a 10 and 12 but with this style I felt it was ok to go down a size. I made a few minor changes to the pattern to customize it for my body shape. I added length to the sleeves which I then later removed because the shoulder is more of a drop shoulder (on me anyway) and makes the sleeves longer than I anticipated. I also added about 1.25 inch to the length of the body. For reference, I’m 5’11”. To add the length, I just added on to the hem for the front, back and button band.

Esme Cardigan Square Shoulder Adjustment | Sew DIY

I realized in the last year or so that I need to make a square shoulder adjustment for most patterns. What that means is my shoulders slope less than what most patterns are drafted for. Or in other words, my shoulders are at a more 90 degree angle to my neck. When I looked at the slope of the shoulders on this pattern I knew that it would be too much for me so I did a 1.125 inch adjustment. I raised both the shoulder point and underarm point up to make the shoulder line more square and to keep the shape of the armhole the same as drafted. I posted about this on Instagram and it sounds like there’s some interest in a tutorial so I’m planning on doing a post about that at some point. I could probably also do a narrow shoulder adjustment on this pattern. From the images on Named’s website, you can see that the shoulder seam is intended to sit on the upper arm, a few inches below the shoulder. On me it’s about 5-6 inches below the shoulder point which could be a bit excessive. But on something oversized like this, there’s not a huge need to do a ton of adjustments.

StyleMaker Fall Tour – Esme Cardigan by Named Patterns | Sew DIY

The first time I make a pattern I usually follow the instructions exactly how the designer has written them. I trust that the designer has made a certain decisions about techniques for a reason and I don’t want to second guess that without trying it first. It also helps me learn new techniques and/or practice techniques that I haven’t done a lot before. So that’s how I approached this pattern but I would definitely do some things differently next time. I’ve sewn the Driftless Cardigan by Grainline Studio once and the Blackwood Cardigan by Helen’s Closet three times and both of those came together a little easier. 

StyleMaker Fall Tour – Esme Cardigan by Named Patterns | Sew DIY

The pockets in the Esme are very similar to the Driftless except that the pockets in the Driftless are cut in one piece with the body of the cardigan meaning there are fewer seams. Next time I make the Esme I’d like to try stitching the pockets to the body and then sewing the Upper Front to the Lower Front. I think it would be a little easier to handle. The second change I would make is sewing on the button band. I sewed on the button band as directed almost all the way around when I realized there was no way that I’d be able to turn under a 3/8 inch seam allowance on this fabric. It would take me hours. So I just serged it in one layer like on the Blackwood Cardigan. It’s not as elegant of a finish but this fabric is so textured that it’s hard to see any details and the serger thread blends right in (woohoo!). 

StyleMaker Fall Tour – Esme Cardigan by Named Patterns | Sew DIY

I love the texture of this fabric and it was relatively easy to sew with. The only tricky thing was being careful to not let it stretch out of shape. The texture is great for hiding any imperfections in the stitching, particularly the buttonholes. This was my first time sewing buttonholes on knit fabric and it is tricky. The fabric just did not always want to move under the buttonhole foot. If you’d like to try out this fabric for yourself you can find it here at StyleMaker Fabrics. I highly recommend this fabric and I love all the choices available from StyleMaker. There’s just so much to choose from!

StyleMaker Fall Tour 2018

9/24  |  9/25  |  9/26  |  9/27  |  9/28  |  9/29  |  9/30  |  10/1  |  10/2  |  10/3  |  10/4  |  10/5  |  10/6

Make sure to check out everyone on the blog tour and the amazing selection of fabrics at Stylemaker. To celebrate the new season, they are offering $5 flat rate shipping on all US orders. For those living abroad, they have also discounted all International rates. No coupon code required. Discount ends Monday, October 8th at 11:59pm PT. Thank you StyleMaker fabrics for asking me to participate and giving me this lovely fabric!!

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About SewDIY

about sew diy

Welcome to Sew DIY. My name is Beth and this blog is dedicated to sharing inspiration, sewing tips and tutorials for creating your own DIY life. Email me at sewdiyblog [@] gmail [.com]

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I love this photo of @klalalaj and her mom in their matching Ali Sweatshirts. 💗 Kinda makes me want to make a matching sweatshirt for every member of my family and then force them to do a group photo. 👫👭👬👫📷 Thank you Kayla for sharing your makes! #alisweatshirt⠀
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Used the snowy day to stay inside and make some Ali sweatshirts for me and mama... we tried to brave the cold for a photograph of the cute back detail but this was the best we got, so it’ll have to do for now.  #alisweatshirt #sewdiy #snowday ( #📷 @klalalaj )
On this Valentine’s Day, I want to send my love out to all of you and thank you for your support and friendship over the years. 💌 I’m so thankful for how welcoming and supportive the sewing community is and I want you to know that I see you and welcome you to be a part of the community as well. My main goal with this account (and with my blog and patterns) is to spread the joy of sewing and making and create a community based on joy and love. ❤️ Sewing can be such a solitary activity and it’s heart warming to know that there are so many sewists out there who are also exceedingly passionate and excited about this hobby.⠀
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I launched my first pattern, the Lou Box Top 4 years ago and it remains my most popular pattern to date. To celebrate, I'm offering 40% off any single pattern in my shop through the weekend. Use code SEWLOVE40 at checkout (bundles and sewing planner excluded). Discount valid through Sunday, Feb 17 at midnight Pacific time. ⠀
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P.S. I hope you all have lovely days doing things you love with people that you love. 😘 In the photo I'm wearing my most #valentinesday appropriate garment, a #teahousedress in Pendleton cotton.
My two most recent makes. Totally unblogged. But I just COULD. NOT. WAIT. TO. SHARE. THESE. 💗 I was so excited about these makes that I woke up early this morning so that I could wash and attempt to dry my hair and take these photos before going to work. 💄📷⠀
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First up are the #calyerpants by @frenchnavynow_ 💙 I finished these up last night and they are everything that I was expecting. So, basically AMAZING. They are made in a navy linen viscose fabric from @blackbirdfabrics which has a lovely drape and was a true pleasure to sew with. (Worn here with my favorite #louboxtop )⠀
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Next up are the #burnsidebibs by @sewhouse7 These are made in a medium weight cotton check from @wearethefabricstore 🌈 I'm so excited about both of these makes. I just need the weather to warm up so that I can wear them without freezing my feet off. ⠀
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#handmadewardrobe #indiesewing #diyfashion #pdfpatterns #sewersgonnasew #memadeeveryday #thefabricstore #blackbirdfabrics⠀
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Today I’m staying cozy and warm in my thickest #alisweatshirt 💙 One of my favorite details of this pattern is the yoke. It just begs to be color blocked which is such an easy way to add a touch of visual interest and also a great way to use up scraps. ✂️
This pattern is available for 32”-50” bust size with finished bust measurements ranging from 40"-57”. And although I haven’t tested it, I think this pattern could easily be unisex because the loose and boxy style makes it easy to fit most shoulder or chest shapes. (At least in theory. I'd love to hear if you've tested my unisex theory. 🌈)
✂️ You can find this pattern in my shop and make sure to check out the #alisweatshirt hashtag for lots of inspiration. .
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#indiesewing #pdfpatterns #createmakeshare #sewersgonnasew #imakefashion #sewcialists #ilovesewing  #diyfashion #makersgonnamake  #handmadewardrobe  #happysewing

DISCLOSURE

Some of the links on this site are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products or services I personally own or genuinely like. If a post or giveaway is sponsored, I will clearly state so in the body of a post.

Blog
DIY Silk Culottes Jumpsuit – Review of the Judith Jumpsuit by Schnittchen
DIY Silk Culottes Jumpsuit – Review of the Judith Jumpsuit by Schnittchen
about 2 weeks ago

Hi friends! Today I’m excited to finally share this lovely jumpsuit with you. I started this way back in October as part of the #sewfrosting challenge hosted by True Bias and Closet Case Patterns. The idea behind the challenge is to sew things that are fun and not necessarily practical. I had this gorgeous fabric in my stash for way too long and the challenge inspired me to finally take the plunge and use it. I honestly have not worn this jumpsuit yet except for taking photos but I’m blaming the weather. As soon as it’s a little warmer, I hope to give this jumpsuit a proper debut.