Juniper Cardigan

I was so excited to be chosen at last to review one of Jennifer Lauren Handmade’s patterns, the Juniper Cardigan. I had planned to go to the copy shop to have an A0 version printed but wasn’t able to get there before the weekend, so an A4 cut and tape job it was! And surprisingly quick – I usually find it fiddly. I’m not sure what type of knit the jersey fabric I used was (part of my stash) but a T-shirt weight, probably a cotton. I chose to make a (hopefully) wearable toile of version A, the cropped cardigan. Being a shorty I find longer length cardis can dwarf me even more. Following the sizing chart I made size 12, grading to 14 at the hips. I cut straight into the PDF pattern rather than trace it first, to save time (and with fingers crossed). It was the first time I’d come across a saddle shoulder, which meant I read the instructions very carefully. But they were perfectly easy to follow and inserting them went smoothly. I particularly liked how she explained which seams required back tacking and where the neckband needed easing when attaching to the bodice. Jen’s note on stabilising the shoulder seams after joining was useful – definitely easier! The only discrepancy I had with the pattern was when matching up the neckband and fronts and it was too long. However, I suspect it was my error, I probably cut size 14 instead of 12, confusing my grading numbers (maths has never been my strong point!) but a quick tweak to the centre back resolved that problem. I opted for 3/4-length sleeves, but as i didn’t make changes to length, on me they came out almost full length. This will be something to adjust next time. Also, the back has some excess fabric “puddling” that I will have to make adjustments for – with a bit of a sway back that is often an issue for me. Because it is a toile version (and I am happy to say it is definitely wearable) I didn’t worry about finding a contrasting fabric for the sleeves. This means it isn’t easy to see details in the photos, but I have tried to zoom in to show elements. Also, as I had no snaps to hand in the right colours and didn’t want to risk buttonholes in the band, I cheated and applied domes and then attached buttons on the outside for decorative purposes. There will definitely be a repeat performance of Juniper, with a pink floral jersey I have been waiting to use for ages – I just need a contrast for the sleeves and band.