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12.28.2015

Molly Cardigan--Liola Patterns

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This month I sewed something new for ME! I rarely sew for myself. I actually think there a couple reasons for that:

1. There are always more fun and interesting projects demanding my time and attention.

  • Sewing for kids is always much more fun and interesting--at least to me.
  • Plus I don't really like to see myself in photographs. Even though I have lost a considerable amount of weight, I'm still not 100% comfortable in front of the camera.

2. It takes more thought and adjustments to make a pattern to fit my size.

  • I'm short--barely 5'1" and so I almost always have to chop several inches off the length of skirts or pants.
  • I also have short arms--thus I have to chop off a couple inches in the sleeve area.
  • I have never done a full bust adjustment so that pretty much rules out tops for me to sew--cardigans are a different story.
I do have to admit that I'm getting better at making these alterations though. It just takes some thought and know how. I have yet to attempt a full bust adjustment but that will come I'm sure with time. (This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you purchase items through my links.) 
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In two of my most favorite Craftsy classes--Sewing Designer Jeans* and Patternmaking Basics: The Skirt Sloper*--I learned how to easily adjust patterns for length. It's really not that complicated. I, however, didn't want to mess up my original pattern. Blending lines after shortening a pattern isn't hard at all, but it always seemed confusing to me. I was afraid of messing up the final product. Once I had watched the process a few time, I was confident enough to attempt shortening the sleeves on the Molly Cardigan. They turned out perfectly and I am pleased with the sleeves on this cardigan. In the past I would have just left them too long and scrunched them up or worse, chopped them off at the bottom of the sleeve losing much of the tapering and detail. After all I am trying to move away from that look! I ended up removing 2 inches from the overall sleeve length and I am super happy with the fit.
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Another adjustment that I made was to make the sleeve a bit more narrow. To accomplish this, I simply cut out the sleeve edges in a size medium and left the sleeve head cut at a size large to match the arm scythe of the large. 

I wavered back and forth between making the large and medium. In the end I went for the large because I really figured that I could make it smaller if needed, but I couldn't make it larger. I also measured an existing cardigan that I made last year and used those measurements as a reference. Also the Molly Cardigan is what I would consider a fitted cardigan. I made a large and I am glad that I did. It is loose enough to layer over another long sleeve shirt and not too tight that it pulls across the back and shoulders.
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I didn't shorten the cardigan. I had thought about shortening it but I really do like my tops to be longer, so I left it as is and I'm glad that I did. You can tell that it hits right in the middle of my hips, which is what I was hoping for.

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This was the first time I had ever heard of Liola Pattens* and I am very pleased. The instructions are concise with just enough detail. A beginning sewer could make this pattern with ease especially if they are comfortable working with knit fabrics. The illustrations are sufficient and aid in the understanding of pattern construction. There are not instructions for making any adjustments for fit; however, I don't consider that a problem for this pattern because there is a wealth of information available on the internet and in books.

My skirt is a self-drafted maxi skirt pattern. You can see more about it on Kollabora. I like the double ruffle that I added to the bottom of the skirt. It swishes nicely when I walk. What are you sewing for yourself this year?


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 I shared my honest opinion in this post about the pattern that I used. This post includes affiliate links. When you purchase products by using my links, I earn a portion of the sale, which helps support my sewing and blogging efforts. Thank you for reading my blog!








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