Lisbon Cardigan-The Inside Story

Beautiful Inside of my Lisbon Cardigan

 Awhile back I sewed up this Coral Lisbon Cardigan ..what I didn't tell you about is the beautiful inside of it!

This Classic Beauty from Itch to Stitch
patterns can be as beautiful Inside as Out with just a little investment of your time.

And lets face it, the Inside of Cardigans are often seen when worn unbuttoned or when slung over a chair or such.

I love the various Cardigans I have sewn but sometimes the Inside can look 'homemade'.

They all have lovely serged seam finishes...the problem is the color of thread used to serge does not always look as nice as it could.

Of course, one can buy serger thread in every color under the sun but it is not always realistic for the home sewist to buy lots of colors.

There is another option though....

Now, isn't this Inside Fabulous!

I was thrilled to read about how one could do the Hong Kong seam finish on knits in the Lisbon Cardigan Pattern instructions!

The Hong Kong seam finish is not difficult to do.  It just takes a bit more time.

Now I could create Cardigans that looked like 'high end' fashion!

The secret is in what fabric is used to create the Hong Kong finish on knits.  It needs to be a very lightweight knit.

Love this slightly deeper Coral on the Seams

Well, I happened to have the Perfect Color of very lightweight knit fabric for the Lisbon Cardigan I was planning to make.  Time to try this out on knit fabric!  ( I have done the Hong Kong seam finish on woven garments)

It was Love... no problem at all..in fact I found it slightly easier to do in knit fabric.

The only place I found a bit too much bulk in the seams to be an issue was where the side seams meet the bottom band.

Smooth Soft Hong Kong Seam Finish

In future makes I will try ending the Hong Kong finish on the side seam bottoms about 5/8" from the end.  That should eliminate the bulk where the side seam meets the bottom band.  Once the bottom band seam, with its Hong Kong finish, is pressed upward and tacked down no raw edges should be visible.

Look at all those Beautiful Seams

Now my mind is whirling with possibilities for interesting fabrics to use for Hong Kong seam finishes on knits....I have some Gorgeous Soft Stretch Lace ...hmmm...could be interesting!


So when you see this Lisbon Cardigan, remember, it is just as Beautiful Inside as Out!

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.......

Sew Flattering: Yoga Style Knit Pants

Back Looks Great Too!

Love How These Pants Look!

Comfy yet Flattering Knit Pants:  Is there such a thing?

In my search for pants that fit this criteria, I have sewn quite a few knit pull-on style pants.

None were very flattering.  Comfy yes....









When I saw the Sunset Lounge Pants by Sinclair Patterns  I really liked the look of them. They have a yoga style waistband, a style I had never sewn before.  So decided to give them a try....nothing ventured, nothing gained right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large Scale Paisley Print with Black Contrast

The fabric chosen from my Stash was a polyester lycra.  Very drapery. A contrast rib knit was used for the yoga waistband.

Usually, I need to do a flat seat adjustment on pants and instructions on how to do this on these pants is right in the pattern.  I did a flat seat adjustment of 5/8"on the back pattern piece.

In my typical style I did things out of order from the pattern instructions.  I began with sewing the yoga waistband.

Love that touch of Hardware: Eyelets for the Drawstring

This was very interesting. If a drawstring will be used buttonholes or eyelets are added.  I love the added touch of hardware that the eyelets give my Pants.

Adding the Optional Elastic to the Yoga Style Waistband

Optional elastic can be added to help to keep the pants up.  Soft braided elastic is recommended to keep that comfy factor. This was what I chose since my rib knit was on the less than robust side.


There are also optional pockets but on this first pair I kept things simple.

And boy are these pants simple to sew...just 4 main seams.

Yoga Style Waistband lets these Pants Hang from the Hips

I couldn't wait to try them on to see if they were flattering or not.....

I was truly amazed at how these pants looked.

I believe they are so flattering because they hang from the hips really.  That is where the elastic sits...the rest of the yoga waistband rises above to the waist.

In the photos I have paired them with the Macy Cowl Neck Knit Top also by Sinclair Patterns, one of my favorite tops to sew!  It always looks Fabulous no matter what fabric it is sewn in.

This design also makes them perfect pregnant bellies...in fact the pattern includes a maternity rise cut with ruched waistband.

There is also a ruched waistband option for the regular rise too.

Two length options included as well...regular and below knee.

For just relaxing around home, to running errands, and even for work wear in appropriate fabrics, these pants are a hit.

Now, I am off to sew up a half dozen more of these Comfy and Flattering knit pants.

Maybe you should too!

Happy Sewing