SWAP Seven #1 Cardigan Jacket

First up find yourself a pattern for a cardigan which consists of a front, back, sleeves and neckband as a starting point. Confirm the basic finished length you want (not including the hem points) and mark the hem and waist positions on your pattern. When you come to cut out the cardigan use theexisting pattern pieces for the sleeve and neck band, plus the front and back as far as the waist marker. Then cut a new piece for the lower body. This should run in the opposite direction for interest. The width is equivalent to the waist to hem length plus seam allowances. The length is equivalent to the waist length plus the waist to hem length twice. When you sew it together, pivot the peplum part at the centre front waist and sew it to the front band, this creates additional triangles at the side front giving the dipped hem. Easy but very effective.

The cardigan is based on New Look 6735 View A, the cardigan jacket. I had already altered this to deal with my forward head and shortened it for a previous cardigan. For this version I made a new pattern piece for the lower front and back (which I'm calling a peplum) as described above - basically a rectangle the length of the hip circumference and the depth of the original waist to hip length, with squares added each end for the drapes. Then when cutting out I stopped the cardigan front and back at the waistline.

Construction order was as follows:-

- shoulder seams

- insert sleeves (flat)

- sew up sleeve and upper side seams

- sew 2 sections of peplum together.

- sew peplum to lower edge of cardigan

- sew 2 sections of neckband together.

- sew neckband to front of cardigan.

For the 2012 SWAP I made this twice, one in a black and white striped sweater knit and then again in a plain black ponte.