Spider Cardi

 I have a list of things I want to sew.  This was not on that list.

Of course.

Simplicity 8951 is from 2019, so the fact that I used it before the end of 2020 (just barely) is novel for me

I did, once upon a time, hack a shirt pattern to make a similarly-shaped cardigan, but I decided, after making that, that it...might...be better to have a proper pattern.

But of course I couldn't bring myself to follow all of the instructions for said pattern.  So.

First deviation: using the spiderweb lace instead of a more traditional kind of cardigan knit

I really like this lace.  It was a fortuitous thrift find that I have finally stopped hoarding and started using.  There's enough left for...something else.

Second deviation: The pattern called for stabilizing the shoulder seams with clear elastic.  I used satin ribbon.

Third deviation: folded over seams on the sleeves and french seams on the sides

I did follow the directions to sew a quarter inch from the stitching in the ribbing seam allowances on the waist and cuffs, then trim next to that additional stitching

 

(yes, so much cat hair)

Next deviation: the way I applied the front bands...actually, the way I cut them, too--the pattern called for cutting them so the stretch went up and down and no?  And then I didn't want any seam allowances to be exposed, which was something the pattern didn't care about, so I pressed each band in half lengthwise (after applying interfacing--where there will be buttons, there should be interfacing, right?), sewed the bottom edges (which the pattern did direct), then sewed each band to the back of the front opening, trimmed the seam allowances (it's lace, so, while that seam allowance might not be exposed, it's still, technically, going to be visible) before flipping the bands around to the front and then stitching them in place.

Because this ribbing is so bulky, the stitching was not as close to the edge as I would usually have sewn it.  Black stitching on lofty black knit is very forgiving of inaccuracies, though.

  

...of course, since this was designed to have the bands extending the front edge, instead of overlapping it this way, it ended up a bit narrow, but it's highly unlikely I'll ever want to button this anyway, so...y'know.  It's fine.

As usual, I made the button holes with the vintage buttonholer and sewed on the buttons with the machine. (I did place a needle under each button in an attempt to create a thread shank, but the rib knit was so thick the needle just...sorta...sank down into it, and no significant amount of shank slack was created.  But at least I did remember.)

The final deviation: the neck band application.  Again, the pattern called for folding lengthwise, right-sides-together, and stitching the ends before turning right-side-out, then sewing it right-sides-together to the neckline and flipping it up and top stitching down the seam allowance, trimmed. 

That was going to be too much exposed seam allowance for me.

I first brought in the ends a bit to compensate for how much narrower the front was after the way I applied the front bands.  I sewed the band to the neckline through only one layer, then tucked the other side's seam allowance up into the band, with just a bit of the fold extending past the upper layer of the band, then I stitched in the ditch from the front through that extended foldy bit

(That's the back.  Lace is sheer.)

OK now this post is finished and I'm going to go do Animal Crossing New Year's Stuff.  I could probably say something else about making this, but my brain is mush because it is really far beyond my normal bedtime.

Happy New Year, or at least Acknowledged New Year!