Are you ready to cut out your Blackwoods today? I am so excited about the fabric I got for the sewalong, it is a speckled grey terry and it is really nice and soft. I think this will definitely be my new favourite sweater! I chose this fabric for the sewalong because it has a clear right and wrong side, so it will be easier for you to follow along. I am going to be making view A for the demo, so you can see the pocket construction. If you are making view B, all the steps are the same sans-pockets.
If you haven't already, grab your copy of the Blackwood Cardigan and check out the previous posts in the Blackwood Cardigan Sewalong!
Two things to check before getting started: 1. Is your fabric pre-washed? I like to wash and dry my knits as I would any of my RTW clothes so I can put them in the rotation and not need to do anything special washing-wise in the future. Knits tend to get worn and washed often so just pre-wash your fabric the same way you plan to wash your final garment. 2. Are your consulting the correct cutting layout for your size? There is a layout for each size, so just check at the top of the page to see which size layout you are looking at.
I am going to be cutting my Blackwood on the fold and the layouts are arranged for on-the-fold cutting as well. You can lay your fabric flat and cut that way, too, especially if you are working with a striped fabric. It will be easier to make sure the stripes are straight if you cut flat, but watch out for the pieces that need to be cut on the fold! You also need to mirror pieces like the cardigan front and the sleeve, so you are getting the two different sides. I am using a rotary cutter and mat, with large washers from the hardware store as weights.
The seam allowance is included in the Blackwood Cardigan and it is ⅜” or 1 cm. For the notches, I usually like to make a ⅛” snip into the fabric with my sharp scissors. Some people prefer to cut the notches outward in the classic triangle shape, or mark the notches with a fabric pen. This fabric has a more open weave, so I’m not confident I will be able to find my ⅛” snip later on. This time, I am using the marker method (highlighted below).
The Blackwood has notches for along the center front opening on the cardigan and on the front band. These are quite important. The notches on the front band will help to ensure you get a nice close fit along the neckline without gaping, so resist the urge to skip the notches here.
Once cut out you should have 14 pieces in total for view A and 10 pieces for view B.
I can’t wait to get started sewing! Our next step will be sewing the pockets and I will be posting that tomorrow!
Happy cutting! Let me know if you have any questions!
