Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Tanacros Cardi: Fun and Stylish

My Cozy Tanacross Cardi
Picture this: 
 You are snuggled up on the sofa reading on a winter evening.  You are perfectly warm and cozy because you are wearing your Tanacross Cardi with its crossover front forming a flattering cowl neck. 
 The Doorbell rings but you are not fretting over how you will look....your Tanacross Cardi has you dressed in Style Too...featuring that lovely fringe!
...............

That is exactly one way I wear my Tanacross Cardi by New Horizons

I also plan on wearing it as a spring coat once the weather warms up!

The Tanacross features a waterfall front with that can be crossed over and closed with buttons.  I love this feature since it makes the Cardi more wearable in my opinion,  as on open front cardi can be just a little chilly at times.  Especially, outside on windy days!
Worn open




The pattern suggests a fringe on just one side but I liked the idea of a fringe on both edges so I added it to both.  Mine was a fringe cut from the main fabric....the instructions tell you how to add this if you choose.  Of course a pre-made fringe can also be used...with instructions on adding it too.

I cut my fringe before moving my fronts from the cutting table for ease and convenience.  First I cut the strips with my rotary cutter and then just snipped the final bit with my scissors.
Cutting the Self-Fabric Fringe











The Fabric I used was a 2 Faced Fleece, so the back side is Black.  This makes the self-fringe very interesting!

Fringe Almost Complete
Back View-Hip Length


Mine is Hip Length, which is good for wearing sitting lots.  The other Option if Knee Length.  Of course, one can customize the length as well, to in between the two lengths.  Here is the back of mine.

 Since my fabric was wide enough I also eliminated the backneck seam by placing it on the fold...just remember mark and  fold under the 3/8" seam allowance first!!!! 
Marking the 3/8" Back Neck Seam Allowance
 

Elastic in place of Buttonholes
Instead of making buttonholes I sewed a strip of elastic to the hem in the area the buttonhole was to be.  This looks much nicer when the Cardi is worn open in my opionion. 

Twill Tape Button-closed and open
 For the inside button I attached a piece of twill tape to the seam allowance and sewed the button onto that. The length of the twill tape was determined by bring the button down to the area where it is suggested to be sewn. This way there was no hassle having stitching showing on the right side of the cardi. 



My Tanacross Cardi is getting lots of wear around the house now, during the winter, and I can't wait to wear it out as a Spring Jacket while running errands and such!

This pattern would also be terrific in lighter weight knits for cool summer evenings...even in stretch lace for a fancy edition!  

Oh, and there is a girls Tanacross Cardi  pattern as well... Mommy and Me Cardis anyone?

Which way will you Stitch one up? In a cozy edition or a lightweight one?  Fancy or everyday?

Happy Sewing.......