THE Q & A SERIES
how to line a cardigan
Hi,
I really enjoy reading your newsletter and have sewn some of your patterns. My favourite, most worn garment is the Slouchy Cardigan you designed for Peppermint Magazine. An important aspect in my sewing is versatility to make the most of my wardrobe. So I wondered whether it would be possible to make the Cardigan reversible. I've researched hacking patterns to make garments reversible, but can't get my head around whether it would work with the curved front.
Best wishes,
Anna
Bonn, Germany
Hi Anna,
How great that you are getting so much wear out of your Slouchy cardi!
Lining a cardigan is a great idea for a pattern hack and a fantastic way to get more wear out of garments in your wardrobe. You can most definitely create a reversible version and I’m happy to share some tips with you today.
What to keep in mind when making a garment reversible
When making a garment reversible, you are, in essence, lining the garment. Depending on the garment you might need to alter the lining pattern pieces (and the type of fabric you use for the inside) so that the garment looks like a completed garment from both sides and not like you are wearing a lined garment inside out!
It’s a good idea to have made the garment in its original form before trying this hack. This will help you familiarise with the construction of the garment and have something to reference as you assemble the hacked version. We also recommend only trying this if you are an intermediate maker.
Choosing fabric to line a cardigan
Have a think about the type of fabric you would like to use for the cardigan. For the Slouchy cardi pattern, we suggest using light to mid-weight knit fabrics with at least 20% stretch. Consider using: French terry, sweater fleece or jersey.
We suggest selecting similar weight fabrics for both layers of the garment - consider using the same fabric type in two different colours or different prints. This will ensure the drape of the garment remains consistent throughout.
Important first steps to make a cardigan reversible
For ease of understanding we have used the terms ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ to reference the two layers of the cardigan. With a reversible garment there is no real inside or outside, but this is the simplest way to reference the two layers.
You will need to cut some of the cardigan pieces from both fabrics - one set for the outside of the garment and one for the inside. This means cutting 2 sets of the front pieces, 2 back pieces and 2 sets of sleeves.
Consider if you’d like to add pockets to both sides. The pockets on this pattern are in-seam and you could have them on both sides, but keep in mind this will create additional bulk in the side seams. You could consider making the in-seam pockets on one side and then patch pockets on the other. This way you will have pockets no matter the way you wear it, but you won’t get the bulk of two sets of in-seam pockets.
Consider what you would like to do for the neck band and sleeve cuffs. In the Slouchy cardi pattern as it is, these pieces are folded to create a clean finish on the inside. That means you could cut them from just one of your chosen fabrics and you will get a clean finish on the inside and the outside of the garment. This means though that you are limited to just using one of your chosen fabrics.
If you would prefer to have the contrasting fabrics for these pieces, you will need to add a seam to each of these pattern pieces. To do this:
Draw a line through the centre of the piece (where the piece would be folded if you didn’t add a seam).
Cut along the line. You will only need half of the piece.
Add seam allowance to the cut edge - we suggest adding 6mm (1/4in) to be consistent with the rest of the pattern. You will need to cut 1 pair of each piece from both fabrics.
How to assemble a lined cardigan - step by step
Follow Steps 1-8 of the Slouchy cardi pattern instructions to assemble both the inside and outside layer of the cardigan.
For one layer you will want to leave an opening in one sleeve seam - this will be used to bag out the cardigan later in the process.
Bagging out is when you sew pieces with right sides together and when you turn them right side out, the seam allowance remains on the inside of the layers. This gives you a clean finish from the outside of the garment.
The size of the opening will depend on the fabric you are using. For thick or heavyweight fabrics you will need a larger opening so that the whole garment can be pulled through.
Assemble the sleeve cuffs as instructed (Steps 13 - 14).
If you added a seam to the sleeve cuffs we recommend attaching the sleeve cuffs to the sleeves before joining them at the sleeve opening (don’t join them at the opening just yet).
Attach one side of the sleeve cuffs to the outer layer of the cardigan, with right sides together. If you added a seam to the cuffs, attach the other set of the cuffs to the inside layer of the cardigan.
Assemble the neck band as instructed in Steps 9 - 10. If you have added a seam in the centre you will need to sew this seam before joining the shorter ends together.
Connect the neck band to the outer layer of the cardigan (Step 11). You will only want to join one side of the neck band to the cardigan. The other side of the neck band needs to remain detached so you can join it to the inside layer of the cardigan.
With right sides together, pin the inside layer of the cardigan to the neck band. Stitch in place.
Pull the sleeves wrong sides out and away from the cardigan. Turn up the bottom of the inner sleeves by about 5cm (2in). Match the inner right sleeve with the outer right sleeve, ensuring that the sleeve is not twisted.
Insert the inner sleeve into the outer sleeve, matching the underseam and notches. Check again to ensure nothing is twisted around and you have connected two right sleeves (and not one left and one right). Stitch the sleeve openings together with a 6mm (1/4in) seam allowance.
Use the opening in the sleeve to pull the garment right side out. When bagging out a garment you want to take things nice and slow and try not to pull too much of the garment through at once. Concentrate on one section at a time to ensure the layered up fabric doesn’t get stuck in the opening.
Use a slip stitch to close the opening in the sleeve and give the garment a good press.
Happy sewing,
Emily
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