Make a Custom Cardigan!

I love cardigans. I even got my husband an oldest son converted last year. They are super easy to make, small to pack for road trips, and can give an outfit a totally different look. My favorite cardigan is the Love Notions Boyfriend Cardigan. It’s super comfy and perfect for hacking. Here are a few more details.

The Pattern!

This cardigan is the perfect addition to your wardrobe! This open front cardigan features drop shoulders, mid-thigh or duster length, side vents and drop pockets. Choose either a shawl collar or hoodie or a simple straight band for your cardigan. This comfy cardigan will look great with jeans or leggings. Choose from sweater knit, french terry, fleece or other medium to heavyweight knits.

Boyfriend Cardigan Features:

• Meant for knit fabrics
• Mid thigh or duster length
• Shawl collar, hood, or band
• Drop shoulder
• Side vents
• Drop pockets
• Full Bust Adjustment

Sizes: XS-5X (See Size Charts  here)

Skill Level: Confident Beginner

Purchase the girls version here. If both ladies & girls are purchased tiered pricing will automatically be applied in your cart for even greater savings!

Dont Be Afraid to Change it UP!

You might be thinking my gray and argyle cardigans look a little different from the pattern above. That’s because I wanted a bit more structure to both of them so I changed it just a bit. In this post are three Boyfriend Cardigans I wear consistently in the colder months. I made the following simple modifications to the gray and argyle ones (the third one I didn't make changes too):

Added a front collar band rather than hood or shawl collar

Added sleeve bands rather than hem

Added a wide band around bottom instead of vents and hem

Flat, square pockets instead of drop pockets

I wanted to have a matching skirt and cardigan set. I just love the look of a matching set. This is a light gray ponte knit from Fabric.com. The Sybil Illusion Skirt in the Pencil option is perfect to make this matching set. Basically the cardigan mods are just adding bands which is pretty simple and way easier than hemming. Since the fabric is folded over to make the band, your measurements need to be twice as wide as the finished measurements. So for a 2.5 inch wide band, you need a 5 inch wide piece of fabric. Make sure you cut the length so the stretch is going around your arm and body.

First, the Gray Mods!

Here’s what I did for the gray one. I shortened the sleeves by 4 inches and then added a 2.5 inch band at the hem. For the band at the bottom I removed 4 inches from the body of the cardigan pattern and added a 4.5 inch band. This was two pieces that met in the middle back. Once the bottom band was on I added a 2.5 inch band around the whole cardigan from hem to collar and back around. This was two pieces too with a seam in the middle back of the neck.

The measurements for the pocket were 8.5 inches tall by 7.5 inches wide. I did a 1 inch hem at the top and folded the sides and bottom in 1/4inch and sewed it on to the cardigan. I used the markings for the pattern’s drop pocket to help me decide the general area to put the new pockets. I love how it has a kind of Business Casual look to it. I get lots of compliments when I wear this simple set.

Now For the Argyle Mods!

I made this Argyle Sweater knit cardigan the same way I did the gray one. The only difference is the sleeve length. I only cut two inches off the sleeve before adding a 2.5 inch band at the hem. I wanted them to be the full length rather than the 3/4 length the other sleeves were.

I love it! I especially love wearing this in the morning with my Sunday Romper to take the kids to school. It's great for lounging around the house in or throwing on to step out to get the mail in. It’s comfy, casual and perfect for our mild weather.

You can check out my other Sunday Romper makes in this post. There is also a Girls Sunday Romper as well. In case you were wondering.

One More Cardigan!

I purchased this mottled black and white, chunky, loose weave sweater knit online from  Califabrics. I have always wanted a crocheted cardigan so I used it to make one more cardigan. I can honestly wear this one year round. It would definitely win the MVP award for cardigans. I didn't make any mods on this one other than adding a band too the sleeve. You can read more about that here. I just had to take my time and be patient with this very loosely woven sweater knit.

I hope you have some favorite Fall sewing patterns already picked out and ready to sew. Now is the perfect time for some selfish sewing and don’t you feel the least bit bad about it. Why? Because you deserve it and, because I said so😘

Happy Sewing my Friends!

Koe