Pattern Hack: Swing Cardigan with Venetian Lace Trim
I saw this Venetian lace trim at the Boho Fabrics.com Instagram feed and knew I had to have it! The collection also showed a blue and white stripe rayon lycra knit and I thought the two of these together would be perfect for a long cardigan.
I chose the Christine Jonson Swing Jacket - this jacket is loose fitting, but the swing starts below the bust so it doesn't overwhelm your upper body. I lengthened this six inches as I show in the diagram photos below. Otherwise I sewed the pattern exactly out of the envelope, omitting the shoulder pads (it's not needed, and the relaxed shoulder line is in style right now.)
Let's look at this pattern in detail - the original pattern is a slightly above-the-knee swing jacket designed for sweater or draped stretch knits. I wanted the cardigan to come to knee length or below with the 5" Venetian Lace trim.
First, I planned out my pattern and fabric:
Then, I modified the pattern by cutting it on the lengthen / shorten line. I determined the length by measuring from my back neck to the back of my knees (with help), at 36". I knew the fringe would hang down even lower. I made this edit to both the front and back pattern pieces, with 6" between the cut of the lengthen/shorten line.
In the image above, you can see that I've not only lowered the pattern on the lengthen/shorten line, but I had to continue the swing on the bottom section as it would not line up. The notch on the outside right, is actually for the pocket, which you will want to omit in this very draped fabric. It hung and distorted the cardigan quite a lot.
This is an easy and satisfying project that really has a wow factor.
The Venetian Lace Trim is super easy to sew on. I simply edge-serged the bottom of the cardigan and placed the lace trim on top. You can use a temporary tape to fasten it, such as Wonder tape, or even Seam A Steam Lite, which will permanently bond. I simply sewed a straight zigzag stitch right across the arcs of the Venetian Lace. I did not curve along the lace's pattern, as it wasn't necessary - the white thread disappears into the lace.
This project took me two hours, including cutting all the pattern pieces on the flat so I could match up the stripes. The side stripes create a chevron detail (as they are cut at angles), which you can see in the video. All in all, a great project to sew for spring and summer! The cardigan is a versatile layer that can go shorter or longer than the pattern itself. In a heavier, more stable knit like ponte, you can add the pockets (which are also serged on). With the exception of the topstitched neck and hems, it's all sewed on the serger - including the shawl-collar style neckline. Follow the instructions for a foolproof squared-off serged back collar.