Lisbon Cardigan From Itch-To-Stitch

I'm pretty sure Kennis Wong of Itch-To-Stitch has a direct line of communication to my fashion brain. I discovered this indy pattern line last fall when Kennis was preparing her Liana Stretch Jeans pattern. I now own several (6!) of her patterns and they are the garments I reach for when I get dressed in them morning. This most recent release is no different.

The Lisbon Cardigan was released today! This wardrobe staple has regular and cropped options for both the bodice and the sleeve. It is designed for a variety of knits and can look so different based on which fabrics you choose.

I wear cardigans all the time, especially in the summer as I prefer sleeveless tops and cold air conditioning, so I was super excited to be selected for the Lisbon Cardigan pattern testing group last week. As always, Kennis brings a nearly perfect "draft" of the pattern to the test, making this more of a fine tuning and a fun, creative exploration of "What Can This Pattern Do?" when in the hands of sewers who all have unique styles. I hope that you click through the links in the launch blog post over at Itch-To-Stich and check out all the different versions that were created.

This cardigan is quick and super easy to put together. I made two during the testing week, but they really only take a few hours to put together...depending on how fussy your fabric is. I used my serger for 99% of the construction, only needing my sewing machine to create button holes.

My first version was made in a super sheer, super stretchy mystery knit. It has about 65% horizontal stretch, and about 50% vertical stretch. I purchased a 5 yard remnant bolt of this stuff several years ago when my local Joann's store moved locations. There are 4 yards left....

I made the cropped bodice and sleeve, knowing that the 4-way stretch of this fabric would pull everything down vertically. Because it was so mesh-like, I opted to omit both the front band interfacing and closures. It's a very sweet version, not terribly warm, but lovely on a breezy day.

Because I wanted to see what a very different fabric would do if I cut the exact same pattern pieces, I chose a stable double knit for my second version. It's a Maggie London print purchased a couple years ago from Fabric Mart that has 50% horizontal stretch and 0% vertical.

Although it takes me so much longer, I chose to single layer cut my fabric so that I could control where the print ended up. Turned out to be well worth it in the end. 

Also, I really need to point out here that I MADE SUCCESSFUL BUTTON HOLES!!! I'm sure most of you are thinking, "yeah, so what? I do that every day." True, however I don't. My machine hates button holes and usually after giving me one or two good ones, completely craps out. You might remember the week I spent stitching and ripping button holes not too long ago.... Anyway, these button holes aren't pretty when you look up close, but moms love ugly babies too, and I love these.

My two test cardigans are pretty awesome! I've got a third on the cutting table now.

Right now, the Lisbon Cardigan is 20% off! Also, take 15% off your cart when purchasing 2 or more patterns with code savemore15! This offer is valid through May 9th and cannot be combined with any other coupons.