I love the rounded front of this Ellie and Mac cardigan, and I knew I wanted to make a few modifications to make mine more of a jacket. Although the pattern can be sewn in woven or knit, most of the photos I could find online were knit versions. I was set on making a woven version in a solid green linen with a bright and happy floral lining. I measured between sizes so I just chose the larger size to be sure it fit since it wouldn't stretch. (The Facebook group is very active and one of the admins connected me with a sewist who had made hers in woven, which was helpful! I wanted to be sure that I was on the right track with sizing and she said I'd be just fine.) I did add length per the instructions for my height.
I used linen from my stash and ended up with about a yard less than I'd hoped. I had to piece together the hood, but I saw it as an opportunity to use some hand embroidery at the seam to make the imperfection a bit festive. It was such a "happy accident" and I love how it looks!
I made sure to press all my seams as I sewed, and even topstitched a few (like the hood to the main) so that my linen wouldn't get wonky. I trimmed all curves with pinking shears and pressed seams to one side.
I made lined sleeves so that when I roll them up the cuff would be pretty, as well as to avoid weirdness with the linen.
I enlarged the pocket pattern piece by about 1/2" on each edge. I ran out of linen so I had to piece one of them together, but that was just another opportunity for a little embroidery to decorate the mishap. I made sure to topstitch the top edge before sewing the pocket to the jacket.
To give the back more movement I cut a vent and finished the raw edges with a placket.
I plan to add green belt loops and a sash to cinch the waist, but I completely ran out of the linen and will have to wait for another yard to arrive from Hawthorne Supply Company. I'll update this post with more photos once it's finished.
If I make this pattern in woven again I'll probably make the sleeves less tapered at the cuff and maybe taper the waist in a bit. I also think this would look great with a giant button and loop to close it in the front.
You can get your copy of the pattern here.
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