Serendipitous Jenna!!

A little while ago Rachel of House of Pinheiro hosted a giveaway on her Instagram for a copy of the new Jenna Cardi by Muse Patterns and amazingly I won it!  Pretty awesome coincidence going on there!  I think I would have bought this pattern in any event because it is so versatile (and the name, obvs!).  There are two length variations (waist and hip length), two front variations (a gathered yoke or one piece) and three sleeve lengths (short, three quarter and long).  For my version I went with the hip length, gathered yokes and long sleeves.  

The sizing on the pattern works on the same principal as on vintage patterns. i.e. you pick your size based on your bust measurement.  I went with the 36" as this is what I always like to believe (although I have measured myself again recently and think I may need to adjust my thinking!).  Having said that though, this has come out quite roomy all round but this may be due to my inexperience with my overlocker not getting my seam allowances quite right.  I think I need to sit down with a ruler and some marker pens and work out exactly where I need to sew.  Not that I mind roomy in a cardigan, that is so much better than the alternative!

The fabric for this was bought a while ago with the intention of making a sweater type top of some sort but after washing this I realised that it is too floppy, while still being quite thick.  Also the ribbing, although a fantastic colour, is not as sturdy as I had hoped for.  Both fabrics are almost too stretchy with not great recovery but were fine for this wearable muslin.  What I would really like to find for my next Jenna Cardi (because there will be many, many more!) is some really lovely, sturdy and thick jersey in anything but black or brown.  Anyway, the fabric does work for this cardigan which is the main thing, and I love the colours!

I constructed the whole of the cardigan on my overlocker then topstitched on my normal machine.  The topstitching is one of the things that makes the Jenna Cardi look so good (in my opinion!).  I made it in two evenings and really took my time with it, but the construction is actually very straight forward.   I love the little gathered yoke and never having gathered jersey before I was worried about how this would turn out but I needn't have!  

Thank you very much to Rachel for hosting the giveaway and to Muse Patterns.  I love my new Cardi and can't wait to make another couple to see me though the autumn/winter.