Style Arc Nina Cardigan

I'm not really a pattern hoarder. I'm more likely to be tempted by the potential held in a new piece of fabric than a new pattern. Also, I don't have access to the $0.99 sales here and that is a natural deterrent. But, sometimes I see a new and different pattern that I really want and I make the purchase without a definite plan for it on the horizon. So it was with the Nina Cardigan from Style Arc.

Given the currency conversion and the shipping costs, it generally isn't prudent for me to be making impulse purchases from small independent Australian businesses. This pattern was expensive. But, I do like to support the small independent businesses and I also wanted to try out their patterns since they get good reviews. Was it worth it? I think so.

I used a lightweight burnout jersey in a grey-blue color that I really like. The pattern suggests leaving the front  edge/neckline and hem raw or "babylocking" them. My fabric curled like crazy along any raw edge, so I wasn't excited about that and my old serger didn't have a good option for a rolled hem or anything suitably discreet. I needed an alternative and decided to attach a raw-edged band to the hem and lower front edge.

I thought this was a good idea, but there was a fair bit of trial and error in the execution of it. It was difficult to get the stitching neat and even. I ended up fusing the bands in place with steam-a-seam. I thought I would miter the lower front corners, but obviously didn't think about it clearly since I cut the 45-degree angle the wrong way! Argh! It was fused in placed and a done deal before I noticed. So, I trimmed off that corner and had to do the other side the same way. Now those nice points that hang down are cut off and blunt, but so be it. I can't change it.

I wanted the sleeve finish to be similar to the other hem, so I added the same sort of band. The sleeve ended up being too long that way, so I added a piece of elastic to the seam for some scrunch.

The pattern itself is well-drafted - nice shaping along the back seams, the sleeves fit in very well, and all the notches along the long front neckband piece line up just right. I needed to add length to the bodice pieces and the sleeves and ideally, I would have gone up a size. This one just fits, but it could be better.

I doubled the front neckband piece to get around the raw edge issue. If I hadn't done that I would probably have to declare this too small. With a belt, everything stays in place pretty well.

It might be awhile before I can justify purchasing another Style Arc pattern, but I'd recommend them based on my limited experience. They do a good job of producing current, but wearable styles and I always like seeing the newest releases.