It’s so easy to drop into the habit of just yoga pants and a hooded sweatshirt this time of year.  After camping and a very wet weekend, that’s all I really want to wear.  But I know I always feel better when I pull myself together and make some sort of effort on an outfit.  That’s why I wanted to make this duster style Blackwood Cardigan to add a bit of (good) drama to my everyday.  It can go on top of any {tank + jeans} or {t-shirt + leggings} combo and look SO put together.

Most of the time, I find a pattern I would like to sew and then pair it with the right fabric.  But when I saw this Modal Waffle Knit at Indiesew, I knew I wanted to hack the Blackwood Cardigan and take advantage of the fabric’s incredible 72″ width of fabric!  What makes this the perfect cardigan fabric is the modal content, which is a semi-synthetic rayon that is SO silky to the touch and yet breathable.  It makes for the perfect layering piece.

If you follow my Instagram, you know I’ve been leaning toward more of this army green color for the season.  I want to always make sure that new pieces in my wardrobe work with what I already own.   This green is a great neutral to pair with denim and lots of the creams and blacks in my closet…so I know I’ll get lots of use out of it!

The Blackwood Cardigan is the first pattern I’ve sewn by Helen’s Closet.  The instructions were very straightforward and easy to follow.  This is quite a popular pattern so it was nice to see all of the different versions on the web before I made my first cut.  But like I said earlier, I wanted to utilize the great width of fabric on this waffle knit and extended the length by a straight 12″ from the bottom of the front, back and neck pieces.  With my serger, this made for a fairly quick sew, which is always so nice!

For the top-stitching around the neckline, the instructions say to use a zig-zag stitch, but I opted to use a straight stitch with wooly nylon in the bobbin.   I use this method around most of my knit necklines and it still allows the stitching to stretch a bit.  Another change is the addition of a toggle right at the bust line.  With the weight of the duster, the sides were pulling away from center and sitting more into my armpits.  I wanted to anchor them with some kind of closure but had to take into account the weight and stretch of the knit.  Luckily, I had the toggle in my stash and could sew them over the serged neckband seams to help distribute the tension.

As with most patterns and my 5’3″ frame, I had to shorten the sleeves by 2″.  I could have probably taken off 3″, but with a cozy cardigan I like to pull the sleeves over my hands on those brisk days.  With the knit cuffs, I also like to always angle in the seams at the fold.  So I took out 1/2″ on both sides of the pattern piece at the fold for a more fitted feel.

A great layer to have under the Blackwood is the Kila Tank.  This is a slim fit tank that uses around a yard of knit, so it’s stash friendly and another quick sew.  The neck and arm bands are attached in a very clever way and great for those who do not have a serger or coverstitch.  Even though I have a serger, I stayed true to the instructions and used my twin needle for the bands.  I love how it looks like ready-to-wear!   But since I DO have a serger, I may go back to the old method just to save some time 😉

The fabric is this soft Rayon Spandex Oatmeal and White Striped Knit from Indiesew which I was saving for a dress, but realized I need more of these staple tops.  There is always more fabric, right?!?  Be on the watch for a long sleeve tee in this same fabric soon….

To finish off my entire #memade outfit, are my Ginger Jeans.  These are my very first pair and also my first Closet Case pattern.  It’s taken me about a month to complete these jeans (because I needed a break after all the modifications,) but I’ll make sure to get into more detail with my fitting adjustments on a future post.

I’m so pleased with my simple outfit that’s churning out the bit of extra drama!  Do you like the duster look?

Project Summary:

• Blackwood Cardigan pattern by Helen’s Closet made in Modal Waffle Knit
• Kila Tank pattern by Allie Olsen made in Rayon Spandex Oatmeal Stripe
• Machines used: Juki TL-2010Q, Juki MO-2000QVP, Singer Quantum Stylist

This post was written as part of the Indiesew Blogger Team.  All opinions are my own.  There are also possible affiliate links for which I receive a small commission only if a purchase is made.