cardigans from a pullover pattern

Hello!

I decided to sew cardigans for myself. You might remember that I can't live without them. Though I used to avoid sewing jerseys, I've been happily playing with my serger for some time and now I feel that finally it's the time for my essential, Cardigans. I'd love to own my handmade half- or shorter-sleeved cardigans in different colors. I also hope them simple, clean-cut, compact, and very&rightly fitted.

So, last weekend, I examined if I could adopt one of pullover patterns which I already had, for making fitted cardigans.
I could buy any cardigan pattern for my project, but luckily I remembered that Miho once mentioned that it could be more than easy to use a pullover pattern for making close fitted cardigans. Although sizing has to be considered carefully, it should be basically achieved by just adding front opening.

I used a pattern named Fujiko (one of Japanese female names) from TAMANEGI-KOBO and sewed two almost identical compact cardigans.





I cut the sleeves and bodice to make them shorter, and made front plackets for the buttons.
You see? That's all what I did. Actually I took a wee bit care of necklines and plackets to make them look cleaner, but it was kinda easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy ;)

The white cardigan has an wider neckline and 6/10 sleeves. The ice-blue one has shorter sleeves and shorter bodice with narrower neckline. Both were sewed in size M, which was my usual pullover size, and they nicely fit me. I put grosgrain ribbons on the back of front plackets to make them sturdy. I also inserted supporting tape around the neckline by overlocking, for the same reason with placket ribbon. They are all working brilliant.





I think I had a good start!
If I find some lacy breezy summery light fabric that would make a pretty cardi next time, I don't think I can leave without buying it...someone living in my head is always shouting at me that I shouldn't buy any more of fabrics, though!


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JUST A NOTE: Pattern Fujiko has an unusual sleeve/shoulder construction. The garment looks like having a pair of set-in sleeves from the front, but actually it looks like a raglan sleeved from the back. We call this style "split sleeve" in Japanese, but I don't think you do the same in English...I couldn't find the corresponding word in my dictionaries. Anyways, I recommend you to refer the technical drawing and some photographs if you don't get it with my description on the sleeves.

pattern: TAMANEGI-KOBO, Fujiko pullover
fabric: ecru white (cotton/Nylon gauze jersey, sheer stripes, very soft and light but not so stretchy)
ice-blue (linen jersey, shiny and lacy stripes, least stretchy but hangs very well)
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Much love,
yoshimi