Scarf Neck Cardigan by Swoon
/Do you ever browse though the internet and stumble upon something where you literally gasp and say 'I HAVE the have that!!!' Well that is how I felt when I first saw the Scarf Neck Cardi by Swoon pop up in my Facebook news feed. I love knit clothing - it is essentially all I wear for tops, and I love cardigans that I can layer in the cold months of winter in Central PA. I am not the type of person who typically falls in love with patterns that work for both girls and women - often one the size ranges suffers in either fit or style... but this pattern just WORKS!!! I can't wait to make my own mommy and me set (in different colors). This is the perfect pattern to use for Holiday Pictures since you can style it in so many different ways and use different fabrics yet still maintain that visual cohesion that is so important!
Swoon is offering THREE of our readers the chance to win a bundle of both the women's and girls' patterns . All you have to do is comment on our Facebook Post HERE or HERE by 11/2 - so simple!!!! You can also get 20% off this pattern with the code: halloween through Midnight October 31st (offer available only at swoonpatterns.com)
- This review was completed by a 3rd party objective reviewer who received a complimentary copy of the pattern in order to complete the review. Neither Pattern Revolution nor the reviewer received any additional compensation for this review.
Ok - enough of my blathering - here are Nichole and Jessica to share their cardigans...
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Hey all!!
I'm Nichole, you can find me over at Full of Grace Boutique on Facebook.
I love sewing kids clothes, and occasionally something for myself was well. When I had the chance to sew up the Swoon Scarf Neck Cardi I was super excited, especially since I got to do a Mommy and Me version. Yay...selfish sewing!!
This is an open front cardigan, perfect for layering. (actually, please layer..otherwise it might be drafty)
The pattern suggests to make it from a lightweight knit, and I choose a jersey knit for my daughter, and a more drape-y knit for myself. Both fabrics worked perfectly. I plan to make this next in a lightweight french terry, I think it'll be dreamy and super comfy.
I decided to go more casual with the look I wanted on this one. I thought it would be perfect to throw on to go out to the park and play. Or cozy up inside. But I think it would be equally as adorable over a little dress coming up this holiday season.
I also opted to go with some solids, so I can use this cardi as a staple in her closet this fall. We have a lot of mustard colored things over this way..so that's the route I went.
For myself, I chose a pretty green, perfect for fall again.
But..I know you want the nitty gritty on the pattern...so here goes...
- Plenty of pieces to tape..but she gives you a great visual of how it gets laid out. The girls went together really fast, women's took a little longer because of more pieces. Easy peasy.
- Super fast sew - from cut to finish less than an hour.
- Can be sewn with sewing machine only, or serger if you have one. I sewed mine with my serger, and my daughters with just the sewing machine. Both went together perfectly.
- Short, to the point directions. Helpful diagrams to keep you from getting stumped. I didn't need the directions after making it one time. It's easy people, easy.
- One yard was MORE than enough for my daughters cardi. I made the XL and found myself need slightly over the recommended 2 yard requirements. For myself, I'll probably get over 2 yards next time, 2 1/2...but perhaps I'm a sloppy cutter. Make it once, and you'll know for next time.
I did find it large on me, but that very well could be my poor self measuring skills. Have someone measure you, and get accurate measurements. I'm certain that'll solve that issue. My 3 year old isn't the greatest at measuring my chest.
Overall, super happy with the pattern. It's a great staple for your closet, or your daughters.
And just a quick view of my hem jobs on the sleeves...Mine was done with a coverhem, so pretty. And I did my daughters with just your normal zig zag...very doable for anyone!!
Hello! It's Jessica again, from Snickerdoodle Stew, and boy do I have a treat for you! I
took a break from planning my kids' Halloween costumes to do a review of this quick little sew from
Swoon Sewing
Patterns (or The Pattern Shop Formerly Known as Paco Bean)!
I had the opportunity to do the child's version of this cardigan and I am SO in love with the finished product, that mama is definitely going to need one of these! This is a great layering item for any season and can be dressed up or down. The possibilities are almost endless! Let me fill you in on some of the details.
The sizing skips by 2 sizes, so it will fit a 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, and 9/10. This is great for a cardigan that has an open front, as you can get lots of wear out of it. There are pattern pieces, about 15 pages of them, but they line up easily and you will want to hang on to the pieces once you go to sew this cardi. More on that later!
This cardigan is written for knit and because there are no closures to worry about stretch, you could use any type of knit that you wish. There are not a whole lot of suggestions as to what types of knit to use or what type of stitch to use. If you are new to knits, I suggest grabbing a friend that is well versed in those areas to give you a quick run down.
There are also very few pictures, but a great diagram of how to attach the side and back panels. This is good because the construction on this is different than you'll see in other top patterns. Remember when I said you needed to hang on to those pattern pieces? You'll need them to help you piece the top together. A little unusual in my experience, but it helps you visualize where the pieces go together in a different way. I would say that an advanced beginner or an intermediate seamstress could easily handle this pattern. I said before that this was a really quick sew. I normally joke that knits take the same amount to cut as they do to sew...which is true in my case! I would say this garment took 2 hours, cut to finish, with some stumbling on my part as well as my use of a regular machine instead of a serger. The instructions in the pattern indicate to hem the edges of the cardi, or leave them raw, as knits tend to not fray, but I chose a girly lettuce edge for my version. You can easily find a tutorial online on how to do this edging with a regular sewing machine or a serger.
I'm glad I bought a ton of this gorgeous eggplant slub knit from JoAnn over the summer, because I have plenty of this swoon worthiness left for me to have my own Scarf Neck Cardi! Mad props to my friend Rebecca of Rebecca Laurel Photography for the lovely model and the awesome images. Thanks also to Sarah Mamelian of ABC-All Because of Claire for the hair pretty!
I had the opportunity to do the child's version of this cardigan and I am SO in love with the finished product, that mama is definitely going to need one of these! This is a great layering item for any season and can be dressed up or down. The possibilities are almost endless! Let me fill you in on some of the details.
The sizing skips by 2 sizes, so it will fit a 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, and 9/10. This is great for a cardigan that has an open front, as you can get lots of wear out of it. There are pattern pieces, about 15 pages of them, but they line up easily and you will want to hang on to the pieces once you go to sew this cardi. More on that later!
This cardigan is written for knit and because there are no closures to worry about stretch, you could use any type of knit that you wish. There are not a whole lot of suggestions as to what types of knit to use or what type of stitch to use. If you are new to knits, I suggest grabbing a friend that is well versed in those areas to give you a quick run down.
There are also very few pictures, but a great diagram of how to attach the side and back panels. This is good because the construction on this is different than you'll see in other top patterns. Remember when I said you needed to hang on to those pattern pieces? You'll need them to help you piece the top together. A little unusual in my experience, but it helps you visualize where the pieces go together in a different way. I would say that an advanced beginner or an intermediate seamstress could easily handle this pattern. I said before that this was a really quick sew. I normally joke that knits take the same amount to cut as they do to sew...which is true in my case! I would say this garment took 2 hours, cut to finish, with some stumbling on my part as well as my use of a regular machine instead of a serger. The instructions in the pattern indicate to hem the edges of the cardi, or leave them raw, as knits tend to not fray, but I chose a girly lettuce edge for my version. You can easily find a tutorial online on how to do this edging with a regular sewing machine or a serger.
I'm glad I bought a ton of this gorgeous eggplant slub knit from JoAnn over the summer, because I have plenty of this swoon worthiness left for me to have my own Scarf Neck Cardi! Mad props to my friend Rebecca of Rebecca Laurel Photography for the lovely model and the awesome images. Thanks also to Sarah Mamelian of ABC-All Because of Claire for the hair pretty!
