Pattern testing the OneCardigan by Serger Pepper

I recently had the opportunity to pattern test the new OneCardigan pattern by Serger Pepper.  It’s a girls pattern but it comes up to a size 16, so I was able to test it for my 11-year-old daughter.  I sewed the size 12 for her.

The pattern actually released on Friday in the OneThimble magazine, but I’ve been piled under with Girl Scout cookie duties so I’m a few days late blogging about it.

The OneCardigan is an asymmetrical jacket with a peplum skirt and a hood.  You can make it from knit or fleece depending on how warm you want the jacket to be.

Tween fashion sense is a fickle creature, so I showed an illustration of the jacket to my daughter before I applied to be a tester.  She took one look at it and said, “Oh, cute!!”  So this style definitely works for older kids – at least the one living at my house.

And seeing the OneCardigans made up by other tester, I can tell you that it’s super cute for the littler girls, too.

For my daughter’s OneCardigan, I used mostly recycled knits.  Some of the lining (the olive green that shows on the hood) and the pink paisley for the back peplum were both yardage, but the rest is all made from old t-shirts.  I have a pretty healthy stash of t-shirts ready to upcycle so I was able to find all the coordinating prints.

The asymmetrical bodice is lined, so across the chest you have 4 layers of fabric.  Even out of lightweight knits, it made a warm jacket!  The pattern doesn’t call for lining on the peplum, but the pink paisley knit was fairly lightweight and I felt a lining would give it more body.

I made it in a size 12 to fit my 11-year-old daughter.  It fit her perfectly in overall length and in arm length.  It did fit loose around the torso and waist.  Some of that is probably due to my daughter’s shape changing, and her chest/waist ratio being different than a little girl’s.  I think the extra width would also be helpful when layering over a heavier shirt or sweater.

The OneCardigan sews up easily.  I used my serger but you can also use a regular sewing machine with a stretch stitch.  The front closures are a button/loop and hidden snap on the chest (both optional)and a tie at the waist.  No buttonholes or zippers are necessary.

My daughter thinks her OneCardigan is pretty awesome.  So with tween approval and easy construction, I’d call this pattern a win.