A couple of months ago, I was not feeling very “sewy.” My sewjo had been MIA until I decided to try a new tactic: Cut a silly number of projects and place them on my desk. Having to face an unstable pile of fabric staring at me, pointing at me and saying, “You’re gonna have to sew us, or we will spill all over your computer. We might even collapse over your chair and end up on the floor, where we will attract every piece of dust your vacuum cleaner has ever left behind” surely would bring my sewjo back.
Well, my plan worked. Having to stare at all that cut fabric and all the possibilities for a tragic outcome (missing pattern pieces; pieces getting mixed up; “Oh, boy, which side is the right side” scenarios—to name a few) really motivated me to get things going. Out of the five projects I started, two are completed, two are almost finished, and one is eagerly waiting its turn.
The first project I completed was also one of the easiest projects I’ve ever sewn—and definitely the easiest and quickest cardigan I’ve ever made. I saw the Danielle Cardi in a Facebook ad while doom scrolling on a Sunday morning. The cardi was part of a sale—six patterns for $27. I ended with three cardigans, one top, one skirt, and a dress.
Jump to:
Pattern
The Danielle Cozy Cardi by Sonia Estep is a beginner pattern for cocoon-style cardigan. It requires no hemming—the “sleeves” are finished with cuffs, and the hem is finished with a band. The pattern has only three pattern pieces, and it comes together very easily and quickly.
Fabric
I used a mid-weight black French terry that I got at Fabric Planet. If you live in Los Angeles, this is a lovely store in Venice. There is a cute dog and an even cuter cat. Oh, the fabric is pretty great, too.
Size
According to the size chart, I’m in between sizes 18 and 20. This being a very roomy garment, I chose the smaller of the two.
Construction
What an easy, quick, and very satisfying pattern! The main body of the cardi is a huge rectangle. The cuffs are sewn to the rectangle. Then, you sew each side of the cardigan, pivoting at the cuff, and then hem the cuffs. From there, all you have to do is sew the two sew the hem band pieces together, sew the band to the raw edges of the cardi, and you are DONE!
Honestly, the hardest part was sewing the cuff hem—just because the cuff is kinda narrow. I tried to go too fast and ended up sewing part of the cuff shut. A few unpicked stitches, and I was back on the machine to finish my cuffs.
The Danielle Cardi
When I modeled my new cardigan for my husband, his first comment was, “You trying to look like a bat?” As a goth, I could not have asked for a better compliment! The level of difficulty of the Danielle is inversely proportional to how good it looks (looking at me using the language of Math!!! My Math teachers must be proud… if they are still alive, that is). This is a great beginner project for anyone who is starting to work with knits, and perfect for anyone looking for a super cool looking cardie for the fall. And I think the 6 for $27 deal is still going. You are welcome!
Sweet make! I love Sonia Estep and now I need this pattern! Thanks for the inspiration.