Last winter, I realized that my wardrobe was getting dangerously low on cardigans. I had thrown out a couple ill-fitting cardigans but they were a scarce item mostly I didn’t need them much in the South. I made it a point to put the Aveiro Cardigan by Itch to Stitch on my #2019MakeNine list. And now that the winter has come and gone (and most of the spring, too) I finally got around to sewing up this pattern!
This V-Neck pattern has 3 length options, sleeve lengths and cuffs, and can be made with or without closures. I don’t always get excited about sewing basics, but boy do I NEED them! They are usually the most appreciated items in my wardrobe.
I made the regular length Aveiro first, in the cuffed long sleeve – sleeve length. I really needed a semi-dressy cardi for church with pencil skirts or pants, something that could also look good with a long skirt. The fabric I used was a bamboo french terry from Nature’s Fabrics. It is everything I hoped it would be: soft, drapey, but also more substantial than jersey alone.
As always, I made height adjustments. I’ll admit, this is the part of preparing the pattern I dreaded the most. Remember: if you take length away from the bodice, you have to take it from the front neckband, too! My neckband ended up a little longer than it was supposed to be…better luck next time.
It can take some dedicated time to make fit adjustments to a pattern the first time around. It can seem tedious, but it’s worth it. It’s not ready-to-wear...why make a standard size when you can make it fit you?!
If you make adjustments like me, make sure to come back to your pattern after you’ve tried it on and note any additional changes you wish to make for the next iteration. Sometimes I write changes on a sticky note if I’m in a hurry and don’t want to make the adjustment to my pattern. I will say, it’s still better to take a few minutes and adjust the pattern. I have a terrible memory for things that I think I will most definitely remember. Remembering which adjustments I meant to make for the next garment is not one of them, I’m afraid.
My second Aveiro Cardigan is the long length with the same cuffed long sleeves this time with POCKETS! I was nervous about this project because I’ve always worried that my petiteness would make it so I couldn’t pull off a long cardigan. But even in June, upstate New York has cool spring temperatures, so I knew this would get use in three seasons of the year. I used a cotton/bamboo/lycra blend french terry from The Fabric Fairy.
I knew this cardi would be a bit more form-fitting than my first because this fabric seems to have a much lower bamboo content than my first fabric. Bamboo tends to drape well, has a pretty sheen, and doesn’t have as good of recovery. Cotton is stiffer looking, has a matte looking sheen and tends to keep its shape better than bamboo. I really like the feel of this fabric – just a little softer than straight cotton/lycra and it keeps its shape pretty well. (Just so you’re aware, the Navy is not available but there are a bunch more colors to choose from.)
It is also more form-fitting because the fabric had only 35% stretch widthwise (something I remembered after I had already cut out the pattern). I avoided fit issues by sewing the side seams with a slightly smaller seam allowance and I like the fit! Unfortunately, the lower widthwise stretch meant that the band had a little trouble going around the ‘V’ at the front neckline. This is why pattern makers typically warn against using anything with less than 40-50% stretch for any type of band (neck, arm, waist…or otherwise).
Ooh, I almost forgot! I’ve had problems sewing knit pockets on (sometimes jersey can be slippery) but this pattern instructs you to interface the top of the pocket. It helped a lot…and since my fabric was more stable that helped, too.
If I used the bamboo/cotton/lycra FT again to make a cardigan, I would try the Lisbon Cardigan instead – it is drafted for a lower percentage of stretch than the Aveiro Cardigan.
And there you have it: two Aveiro Cardigans in Navy and Black – colors that will coordinate with most of my closet and I will wear for years to come! I can never find cardis that are petite enough for my torso/short arms, so this a real treat!!
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