One of my favorite things about the online sewing community is the great sense of camaraderie amongst makers. Bloggers are happy to support each other, and there is no shortage of makers supporting each other’s products. One of the best ways that I see this done is with pattern makers or fabric shops who are emerging onto the scene and getting their names out there. I love sewing up new patterns, and can almost always find a way to make something that fits into my wardrobe. Most recently, I had the chance to work with Seen & Sewn Patterns, and I’ve truly loved the experience.
The designer and mastermind behind this new company is Arielle Bergmann. She is a teacher who sews in her free time, and now designs patterns on the side, as well! On top of all that, she runs a great blog in which she talks about her dedication to a handmade revolution. Right now, Arielle has released two patterns through Seen & Sewn – the Cozy Cardigan, and the Tracy Bee Top. I’m here to show off my Cozy Cardigan today, but keep an eye out next week for my take on the Tracy Bee!
This pattern was pretty simple to print and assemble at home – I ran into just a few little wonky bits. The pattern piece pages come a bit out of order, which worried me at first, but when I pieced and taped the pattern together this turned out not to really be an issue – the out of order pieces actually stick together on their own, and don’t necessarily even need to correspond to the other pages. As I cut and prepared the pattern, I also noticed that multiple pages didn’t seem to have the standard bold outline along all four edges defining the printed space and the blank spaces along the sides (where one might choose to cut a side or two for easy piecing). My process is typically to print and cut the borders of my pages in one sitting, then piece and tape them together at a completely different time. As I cut my pages, I simply used other previously cut pages as a guide for those without the bold borders. However, again, this turned out not to be a problem at all, as many of the pages without borders were ones that did not need to correspond to the rest of the pattern layout, or where ink was saved on an edge that wouldn’t line up with anything else! So don’t fret – once you print the pattern, everything makes perfect sense, even if you may not feel it at first! I do wish this had been included in the pattern instructions, though, to save me a little stress ahead of time!
After cutting and piecing the pattern, the rest of the process was a breeze! Though this cardigan has some great design elements that make it fun and unique, at its core, it is a very straightforward sew. I was able to cut my fabric and sew this up in about ¾ of an episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. As per the advice offered within the pattern instructions, I did the majority of the construction of this garment on my serger, and sewed the finishing touches of the hem on my sewing machine. Though I had the instructions open for reference throughout my sewing process, the garment is very intuitive and I only glanced back every now and then to be sure I was on the right track. The only mistake I made was that I accidentally sewed the long edges of the sleeve cuff together, rather than the short edges, based on how I read the pattern instructions / illustrations. Luckily, I had enough fabric to re-cut another sleeve cuff and carry on correctly!
This cardigan is so versatile. The batwing sleeves and the fun dipped back are unique and trendy… And bonus – the sleeves are a perfect length, and I won’t find myself constantly pushing or rolling them up! I chose to make mine up in this insanely soft French Terry which I bought from the lovely Lauren over at Rose Garden Ln during a recent fabric destash. I love the vintage-y colors of this fabric, and I thought this cardigan would be a perfect transition piece into Spring. I am ALWAYS cold, so this will pair perfectly with shorts and a tank throughout the summer, but is also perfect to help me get through these last odd cold bursts we’ve had in Texas the past couple of weeks! It paired up perfectly with my most recent Ogden tank for these photos. I sewed up a size medium here, though I certainly could have gone with a small. I love oversize sweaters, so I just decided to dive in to that head first with this version.
I absolutely love how perfectly cozy my cardigan turned out. I’d love to sew another version in a neutral colored sweater knit, as something that would pair with everything in my closet, and potentially even a very lightweight version as a bathing suit cover up for the summer. As I mentioned before, this pattern is such a great, versatile basic that it can really be spun so many different ways! Case in point – check out this awesome version sewn by Kiara of Simply_KRose for a super chic take on it!
I enjoyed sewing up my first garment with Seen & Sewn patterns, and I’m excited to get to work on their other current pattern this week. If you haven’t heard of them yet, I’d certainly suggest giving them a follow on Instagram and checking out the patterns – both are going to be wonderful additions to my closet this summer, and are great separates for those needing to bulk up their wardrobes before Me Made May!! Arielle has a great eye for style, and I don’t think it will be long before we all find ourselves sewing up her designs to expand our handmade wardrobes.
Cardigan: Pins & Pinot – Handmade by Me!
Fabric: Floral French Terry (purchased from a RoseGardenLn fabric destash)
Pattern: Seen & Sewn Patterns – Cozy Cardigan
Though the pattern used in this post was provided to me by Seen & Sewn Patterns, all opinions expressed are my own, as always!
- XX Elizabeth
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