Earlier this week 5 out of 4 released the Women’s and Girls’ Eleanor Cardigan patterns! It’s the perfect addition for your transitional wardrobe and offers a relaxed fit with a drapey front that can easily cross over. But you might be wondering what are some good fabric choices to consider when sewing up this particular pattern. Our pattern testers used a variety of different fabrics but the favorites were light to medium weight sweater knits, french terry, and even double knits. Because different fabrics can give a different look and feel to the same pattern, we put together this blog post to show you how some of these fabrics look on the Eleanor pattern. Keep in mind that heavier weight fabrics will give your Eleanor a less relaxed fit with a bit more structure, whereas lighter weight knits will drape more and offer a relaxed look.
The pattern was designed with light to medium weight sweater knits in mind, so let’s start there. The pattern isn’t meant to be fitted (think sweater set) and there is enough ease that you can easily layer it over a tank or other shirt and still have freedom of movement. Most sweater knits will work great for the pockets and hood options as well, just consider the possibility of pockets made from lighter weight fabrics sagging/pulling on the front once you put items in them.
French Terry fabric is another great option to use for the Eleanor pattern. French terry drapes a bit different than most sweater knits and therefore won’t hang as closely to the body. It will give a slightly more structured but by no means boxy look. French terry will work great for the body, bands, hood, etc. for this pattern. French terry isn’t typically much thicker than light weight sweater knits so you should have no problems layering your cardigan over other tops.
We had a least two testers use double knit or quilted knit fabric to sew up their Eleanor cardigan. This fabric choice definitely gives the most structured look of the fabrics used during testing. I think they give the look of a lightweight jacket versus a traditional cardigan. Neither of these testers sized up even though their fabric was thicker than most sweater knits. Be sure to check the stretch on your fabric first to determine if you need to make any changes for fit. Keep in mind the pattern has a dropped shoulder and you might you need more room around the bicep if you using a thicker fabric. I would not recommend doing the elbow cuff option if you use thicker fabrics.
Be sure to pick up your copy of the Women’s and/or Girls’ Eleanor patterns. In addition to featuring 3 different lengths, the pattern includes the option for pockets, a hood, as well as instructions for adding elbow button or snap cuffs if you want to roll up the longer sleeve to 3/4 length.
Don’t forget to share your Eleanor cardigan or any of your other 5oo4 makes in our Facebook Group. You can also tag your posts across social media with #5oo4Eleanor so we can find it.
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