A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to test sew the Libra Cardigan from See Kate Sew and it released today! Since making this cardigan it’s been in heavy rotation for those chilly nights (or offices….) or chilly mornings as we’re transitioning from Summer to Fall.
The Pattern
The Libra Cardigan is an oversized cardigan with dolman sleeves and either a banded sleeve or long sleeve extension option. It comes in 8 sizes and is oversized so there’s a lot of flexibility in the sizing. I love See Kate Sew’s patterns and have made a few of them – they’re perfect casual feminine pieces that get worn over and over and over again. I’ve made the Penelope Peplum, the Rosa Top (my favorite!) and the Dreamer Top. When I had the opportunity to test sew for her I had no doubts that I’d get a lot of wear out of the pattern (and I didn’t even know what it was ahead of time!).
The Cardigan
My favorite feature of the cardigan is how cozy it is! I made it on a Friday night after work in about a half hour and then proceeded to wear it all evening and the entire next day. While it’s not a style that I usually opt for – I usually sew and wear more fitted cardigans – this is just so comfy to wear over whatever you’re wearing for the day and allows you to still look feminine and cute!
Although I’ve never made or worn one, it reminds me of a kimono type cardigan and depending on how you wear it, it can be more or less structured.
The cardigan did end up with a lot of fabric because of it’s oversized shape, I think for my next version I might try to sew the size down (XS instead of S) which is the size that I’ve sewed the Rosa Top which is also an oversized top.
The Fabric
Oh my goodness, can I gush about this fabric for a second? How have I not ordered from Raspberry Creek Fabrics before? I made my Santa Fe Top out of their fabric and now I’ve made a second garment out of it and I immediate ordered more! I didn’t see the exact fabric I used on their website today, but this fabric is pretty similar.
Kate also has two fabric kits for the Libra Cardigan – a blush velvet and a floral sweater knit – how cute! I’m a big sucker for kits – so these have my name written all over them!
The Test Process
I think test sewing is such an interesting experience and I always learn SO much from the other sewists in the test. If you ever have an opportunity to test for someone, I would recommend it! Kate hosts her test sews in a Facebook group, which is my favorite, because you get to see how different people style it, the adjustments they make and the fabric they use! It gives you so much inspiration for your second, third or fourth version of a pattern!
Because this was a knit garment, the test period was really short and I was so impressed how quickly people were able to sew up the pattern! The garment itself didn’t take long at all, but it was amazing how people just jumped right in! I had to wait till the second day of the test to start mine and so many people had already finished theirs. It was such a good experience and another test sew in the books!
Libra Cardigan SUMMARY:
Size Made: Small
View: Only one version but did the longer sleeve version
Fabric Used: French Terry from Raspberry Creek Fabrics – Similar Here
Notions Used: Schmetz Jersey Needles
Ease of Construction: Came together really quickly – great late night satisfying sew!
Fit: It’s oversized (as it should be) I think next time I’d try the XS
Repeatable? Yes!
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