Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: College Inspired Cardigan

Happy Monday All! It has been a while since I wrote a blogpost and it feels great to be back!

Today I am excited to share my daughter who hasn’t graced the blog for quite sometime. Now that my children are older, I have to always get their permission to take photos and share. It took a lot of convincing to get my daughter to rock this FAMU (Florida A & M University) inspired cardigan.

I originally planned to make the Blackwood cardigan using the orange and green ponte knit for myself to represent my alma mater FAMU but then realized I cut the wrong size. 

I was a bit disappointed at first that I cut a medium instead of a large but knew my daughter would rock it. Additionally, even if I wanted to squeeze in the cardigan, it just could not even pass my elbow when I tried it on.

It was definitely a learning experience because I now know that you cannot add a non stretch ribbon around a fitted knit garment sleeve. It must be added to a loose sleeve as the ribbon stops the fabric from stretching.


On a positive note, here are a few tips when when adding ribbon around a garment sleeve.

1. Use a quilting rule or draw a straight line.

2. To avoid the ribbon from shifting, use a 2 sided wash away tape to hold it securely in place while using the quilting ruler as the guide to keep it straight. No pins necessary!!

3. Separate each row at 1/2 inch and keep it consistent. Next time around, I may separate it at 3/8 inch and place it at least 3-4 inches above the elbow.

4. Sew   the ribbon at the edge and go slow for a clean finish. An edge foot would be ideal but not necessary.


I definitely plan to try it again possibly on an oversize sweater sleeve. This was my first time trying this technique and making the shorter version of the Blackwood cardigan. This weekend,  I plan to cut a color block version using some of the newer color ponte knit I purchased at Fabric Mart.

For my top, I was somewhat disappointed and wish I had used a different fabric type such as a fleece or thicker knit to make the hoodie portion a bit stable. I am not convinced that I would make this pattern (Simplicity 9636) again with ponte knit even though it is a quick and easy sew.

Overall I truly enjoyed making both looks and was able to take capture a few photos with my daughter, moments that I will cherish.  Thank you so much for reading and following my sewing journey. Don’t forget to stop by my Instagram page (heymaricamitchell) to see what I am currently working on. Have the most amazing Thanksgiving and Holiday break when it comes! See you in 2023!!!!

One Love,

MARICA  @heymaricamitchell

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories PONTE KNIT.

Comments

  1. Beautiful models and Beautiful sewing! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the cardigan and the top you made!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really like te style of the college cardigan! Maybe there is some sort of decorative/colored elastic that you could use on tighter sleeves. There must be something out there! Really cool idea, and great projects. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pretty. Both, the cárdigan and the model.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love both of the new tops you made. Nice to see your daughter again too. I wonder if fold over elastic would work for the sleeves? I know it would be bulkier because it would be double thickness but it comes in some great colors now if you can find them. I hope you have a blessed holiday season also and may 2023 be a great year for you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a wonderful story. Thank you for telling it. Luckily your lemons made lemonade.

    ReplyDelete
  7. both very attractive

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Why Sew A Muslin

Here it is, my September blog post featuring Newlook N6692 and this pretty rayon challis from Fabric Mart! This pattern style is so in right now. The square neckline, cute puff sleeves and the tiered skirt are all exactly what I was looking for in a summer dress. As always I started with making a muslin first!  Let’s get into why it’s important to start with a muslin.  A muslin is basically a practice garment. It prevents you from cutting into your good fabric prematurely.  I usually use a muslin fabric (natural cotton) but you should also consider using a fabric that is the same weight as your fashion fabric. This will give you a truer gauge of how the garment is going to lay in the final fabric. Anytime I try out a new pattern company I make a muslin. This was my first time using a Newlook pattern so I need to know what the ease would be like for this pattern. Also I need to see how the bust would fit me and where I would need to make adjustments. Plus there were some new techniques

Made By A Fabricista: The Love of Sewing - Basic Pieces for a Beginner

Happy Friday All! It has been a while since I made myself a dress. I am excited to sew after not making anything since my last post (whew) and finally sharing some photos.  This past summer has been a roller coaster journey with plans to release a small collection and then deciding that right before the launch to postpone. Sewing has brought me joy over the past 8 years and the mere fact to sew daily for orders had me in a panic mode. I really don’t want to walk away from my craft due to burn out  and decided that if I do sew for others, it would be only for local clients. Moreover, If next year I decide to launch, it would be seasonal and not year round. I really want to share my talent and love for sewing with others but don’t want it to be a full time job and lose the passion in me.  After a bit of soul searching, teaching and sharing my talent with my community will always be my first love. For the past 2 summers, I was blessed to partner with two nonprofit organizations’ local sum

Made By A Fabricista: Two Late Summer Dresses in Bold Stylized Prints

Hello Sewing Friends! Sharon here with my latest Fabricista make, two dresses that will transition into fall.   You probably noticed I didn’t choose traditional autumn prints or colors.  I planned to, but just couldn’t bring myself to think about cool weather colors and fabrics when the temperatures were still over 100 degrees F.  Instead, I decided to sew a couple of late summer dresses that I can wear when the temps begin to dip into the 80s.   The first is a maxi shirt dress sewn out of this amazing rayon twill . Oh, the drape on this one is divine! The stylized white hearts really pop against the black background. Even though the print is bold, the colors are classic making it easy to accessorize with any color.  My big puppy like to hang close to me when I take photos, but she accessorizes well with whatever I’m wearing 😊 The pattern is the Style Arc Anais Dress. I’ve had my eye on this pattern for some time just waiting for the perfect fabric.  Now that I’ve sewn the dress, I wa