Colette Seamwork 3001: Oslo

I recently subscribed to the Colette patterns e-magazine Seamwork. For $6 per month, you get a digital magazine full of useful and informative articles (I’ve enjoyed both issues so far) and at least 2 patterns. The patterns are the type you should be able to do in a couple hours which is awesome. Because those are my favorites. I signed up for it because the patterns from the first issue looked interesting and I know Colette patterns has a reputation for quality patterns.

I was excited to try out Oslo, a cardigan, because I’m always cold and looking for something to toss over my shoulders. I decided to make it out of a striped cotton/modal jersey I had. Super comfy fabric and I love the colors. I thought this would be something nice to keep my shoulders warm. Unfortunately the stripes were a BAD idea. They brought out every anal retentive tendency I have in trying to make the stripes line up. It drove me nuts. This would have been a super simple pattern if I hadn’t hemmed and hawed at each step trying to get things line up just so. OMG. Crazy-making.

However, look at those stripes lining up! I got a little better by the time I sewed the collar. Don’t look at the side seam.

The other thing that I was silly about was the taping of the pattern together. Because I didn’t want to bother driving to a kinkos or pay them to print me a large format copy, I just printed the pages and taped them together. Well this was 46 pages to make the pattern. It took close to 3 episodes of Castle for me to finish taping it together and then trace because I wasn’t cutting up my handwork — what if I needed a different size?! (Which was good forethought on my part since I would use a different size next time.) The upshot is that next time I’m just going to print it on a large format unless it’s less than 10-12 sheets.

Anyhow, moving along, I did get it done. There were a couple of bumps (the instructions weren’t as clear I would have liked about the cuffs), but overall it went smoothly and I’m mostly happy with how it came out. It’s very comfortable and I love the style, especially the collar. However, I think the pattern sizing is very much based on chunkier sweater knits and not the light ones. They recommend going with a larger size if you’re between sizes. I was between the XS and S so I went with the S (which is what I usually am in RTW anyhow) and it’s frankly a bit large. It works and I’ll use it if my mom doesn’t want it, but I’m going to offer it to her first.

Other than the stripes, this was my first time using a twin needle and I love how it looked. So proud of myself for conquering that demon! I was previously kinda afraid to use it on something I really cared about.

Another fun thing I did was the shoulder seam. The pattern calls for clear elastic which I didn’t have and JoAnn’s didn’t carry it and you know when you’re in the middle of a project and you just want to finish it now? Yeah, that’s how I was. I just wanted to get it done. So I remembered that when I made my Sewaholic Renfrew top, I used grosgrain ribbon in the shoulder seam. Okay, only sorta. I was actually wearing my Renfrew top while I was making this cardigan and so I just looked at the shoulder seam to see what I did. Anyhow, when I was at JoAnn’s I picked up some cute gray patterned grosgrain and used that. It’s one of those details that no one sees because not only is it inside, but it’s also on the side of the seam that’s hidden, but I know. Somehow I think that makes it even more special.

I might make it again. We’ll see. I know the next time it would be super fast (and not just because I wouldn’t use stripes). But I just ordered another cardigan pattern that I want to try. Maybe I’ll do that one in a sweater knit. But this is a good basic to come back to. I leave with a view from the back.