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Cozy up in this lovely cardigan featuring puffed short sleeves, a flattering V-neckline, and a classic front button closure. Designed for thicker, soft fabric like sweater knit or Ponte, it offers both style and warmth. Perfect for layering over your favorite tops, this cardigan will add charm and comfort to any outfit.
Download the FREE PDF sewing pattern, and sew your own handmade cardigan now!
1 cm (3/8″) seam allowance included!
Material
- FABRIC: 1.3 m (1 1/2 yd) sweater knit or double knit like Ponte with 40% stretch
- INTERFACING: 0.4 m (1/2 yd) knitted fusible interfacing
- All-purpose thread
- Stretch or ballpoint needle
- Roughly 0.3 m (3/8 yd) clear elastic, 0.5 cm (1/4”) wide
- 4x buttons, 2 cm (3/4”) wide
- Buttonhole cutter or seam ripper
Important: Fabric requirements are based on a fabric width of 150 cm (59″). If your fabric is narrower, additional yardage may be required.
Download the free PDF sewing pattern…
… and once you’re done, share a photo of you wearing proudly your new cardigan with #unfetteredpatterns or tag us @unfetteredpatterns!
Need help to print your pattern? Check our detailed tutorial here! Also, find out how you can customize your pattern for A0 printers and projectors here.
Need help completing the project?
Check our Kofi store for printable sewing tutorials, including detailed sewing instructions, line sketches, a sizing guide, and a list of the materials needed!
Sizing Guide
This pattern is drafted according to the following body measurements. Standard height is 1.64 m (5.4 ft). Check this tutorial if you want to add sizes to your pattern!
| XS | S | S/M | M | M/L | L | XL | |
| Bust | 85 cm (33 1/2″) | 89 cm (35″) | 93 cm (36 1/2″) | 97 cm (38″) | 101 cm (39 1/2″) | 105 cm (41″) | 109 cm (42 1/2″) |
| Waist | 64 cm (25 1/2″) | 68 cm (27″) | 72 cm (28 1/2″) | 76 cm (30″) | 80 cm (31 1/2″) | 84 cm (33″) | 88 cm (34 1/2″) |
| Hips | 92 cm (36 1/2″) | 96 cm (38″) | 100 cm (39 1/2″) | 104 cm (41″) | 108 cm (42 1/2″) | 112 cm (44″) | 116 cm (45 1/2″) |
Finished garment measurements
Ease is included in the measurements below to make the garment larger than the body.
If you want to adapt the length of your garment to your height, check this helpful tutorial here!
| XS | S | S/M | M | M/L | L | XL | |
| Bust | 87 cm (34 1/2″) | 91 cm (36″) | 95 cm (37 1/2″) | 99 cm (29″) | 103 cm (40 1/2″) | 107 cm (42″) | 111 cm (43 1/2″) |
| Biceps | 40.4 cm (15 7/8″) | 41.6 cm (16 3/8″) | 42.8 cm (16 7/8″) | 44 cm (17 3/8″) | 45.2 cm (17 7/8″) | 46.4 cm (18 3/8″) | 47.6 cm (18 7/8″) |
| Length | 52 cm (20 1/2″) | 53 cm (20 7/8″) | 54 cm (21 1/4″) | 55 cm (21 5/8″) | 56 cm (22″) | 57 cm (22 3/8″) | 58 cm (22 3/4″) |
Sewing Notes
Here are some tips we recommend for a successful sewing project:
Fit and style
- Choose a size based on your bust. Take a look at the body measurements chart to guide you.
- To get your bust size, measure around the fullest part of your chest. Take a nice deep breath before you check the number. Just to make sure the measuring tape isn’t too tight. You want it snug, but not squeezing you.
- On the finished garment measurements chart, you can also check the length of the garment and see if it’s suitable for your height. You may want to compare the length with a similar piece of clothing. This cardigan is cropped so it should cut below the waist, or at the high hips.
- If you want to adapt the length of your garment to your height, check this helpful tutorial here!
Fabrics
- Be sure that your fabric has the correct amount of stretch. For this style we recommend 40% stretch, which means that a section of 10 cm (4″) can be stretched to 14 cm (5 1/2″) without a problem. If you feel any tension in the fabric before you reach the measurement, it means that your fabric doesn’t stretch enough.
- On another note, if you notice that it doesn’t spring back to its original shape once you’ve stretched it, your fabric might not have a good recovery. This means that you might end up with a lot of wavy seams and a garment that is 3-4 sizes up at the end of the day.
- Choose a knitted interfacing so the fabric can stretch once they are fused together. Also, grab a color that’ll blend right in with light-colored fabric!
Cutting out
- Preshrink the fabric before you start cutting it out. To do so, wash and dry the same way you would with the finished garment. This means you should also take into account the fabric type and its content.
- Once the fabric is washed and dried, press it to remove all the creases. Be sure that you’ve set your iron to a temperature that is suitable to the fabric. As a rule of thumb, synthetic fibers (acrylic, spandex, polyester…) should be pressed at low heat, and natural fibers (cotton, wool, linen…) should be pressed at high heat.
- When you’re ready to cut into the fabric, fold it lengthwise, right sides together. The fold should not twist and lay flat. If it’s twisting, unfold and fold again, until it lays flat. Then, place the pattern pieces so that the grainline is parallel to the selvages.
- Be sure that you don’t cut the notches too much, they should be about 0.3-0.4 cm long (1/8″).
Sewing
- If you’re not sure how to sew buttonholes, be sure to check your sewing machine manual. The process will vary from one machine to another.
- If you’re using a sewing machine, be sure that it’s equipped with a stretch needle. A stretch needle has a rounder tip that prevents snags. If your machine is skipping stitches, the size of the needle may be too small, so be sure to have an assortment of needles with varying sizes.
- If your seams are very wavy, you might want to check for a walking presser foot for your sewing machine. On an overlocker, check to increase the differential or the stitch length.
- When you press your seams, press one section at a time, lifting the iron when going from one section to another. If you let the iron glide over the fabric, you might stretch out the seam.
- If the seams crack when stretched, be sure that you used a stretch stitch, and that the thread is all-purpose polyester, not 100% cotton. You may also reduce the thread tension. On an overlocker, reduce the tension of the needles, not the loopers, and reduce the differential or stitch length.
Good luck with your sewing project!
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Brilliant pattern! I extended the short sleeves into long and readjusted the cuff because it’s such a cold January. Otherwise, the finished sizing was spot on and I just love it. Thank you for allowing me to use your pattern. It’s such a pretty cardigan.