Blanket to Coat - Part 3

After much imagining and several thought experiments involving the concept of "blanket to coat", I decided it was about time to test my ideas in real life with a mockup. I cut midriff length left front, right front, and back pieces for a shallow V-neck sweater, trying to use as little of leftover blanket poncho fabric as possible. I didn't bother to match stitch patterns on the pieces because it would've required more fabric, and I'm saving the rest of the blanket for... something. I didn’t cut sleeves.

The band in the left picture is cut from the blanket's side edge. The band is cut as a separate rectangle, independent of the front. I was careful to cut the band wide enough (beyond the sideways mock ribs) so that the seam allowance would be far enough away from the front opening. The band was sewn to the sweater front edge and neckline. I kept the needle down as I turned the corner and stretched the band around the V. Because I was using a finished blanket border, the band is single thickness. 

The pic on the above right shows the band and front cut as a single piece like in the diagram below. If I had cut a full length piece, bottom and side borders of the blanket would be preserved. The band was stretched around the V and then stretched along the neckline. This band is also single thickness.

Ok, this wasn't a controlled experiment; I didn't just change one element. I was also trying to make something I think looks good. As I pinned the one-piece (right side pic) together for sewing, I decided I needed to make the stitch pattern blend into the band a little better. I extended the neck seam and made a tiny dart where the seam begins, right at the place where the front band becomes a neckband. This ended up giving the neckline more of a curve, which I hadn't anticipated for some reason. 

The important part I learned is that due to the stretch of this sweater knit, it is possible to cut a workable band and front as one piece. The particular stitch pattern design and finished edges of the blanket will, of course, impact the eventual design of the sweater coat when cutting a front and band as one piece. Cutting the band separately will give more options in pattern placement. (For those who like the design of this stitch pattern, the cotton cable blanket panels are available in the shop again.)

I still don't know which side I prefer as far as style goes, but the one-piece version in the picture on the right was definitely faster. Your thoughts?

(ETA CF Contributor Danielle decided on a hoodie, installing a zipper and a hood on hers, a different approach entirely!)

O!

Blanket to Coat - Part 2

Almost 2 years ago a reader, Paula C., wrote to ask advice about making a coat out of a blanket. She was planning on using an acrylic sweater knit blanket to make a sweater knit coat. I gave advice on the perils of working with acrylic and suggested a pattern. What I never suggested was a complete pattern layout.

Reinforced by the oodles of fun I had sewing my poncho a couple of weeks ago, I've moved on to dreaming about a coat with the same very pretty cotton cable fabric I have in the shop now (sold out), blankets from the local knitting mill that were never finished.

The diagram above is to scale. When at its full size (click to enlarge), 10 pixels are equal to 1 inch. The blanket is approximately 52 inches wide and 62.5 inches long. Allowing for half inch seam allowances, the coat in the diagram is 37 inches long with a finished garment bust/hip measurement of 39 inches. The sleeves are about 22 inches long. The front opening and hem would already be finished using this layout. The bottoms of the sleeves would need to be finished however -- a hem perhaps, or I could use the remaining selvage fabric as a binding. With this layout, this blanket would also accommodate a wider and longer sweater.

If I were to start with a sewing pattern, such as the Named Clothing's Esme Maxi Cardigan, I might cut out the front this way, instead of whatever's suggested.

This way I could use the blanket edge for both the front and back neckline. The band would connect at the center back. (ETA A mockup of this neckline and a variation have been completed. Please see Blanket to Coat - Part 3.) When I was machine knitting full fashion cardigans, I once knitted a continuous front band and neck band this way. It worked well in that particular situation.

Finished bottom edge and fancy selvage on blanket

Or maybe I might go another way. I could cut a cardigan and finish an asymmetric front with a contrasting, exposed zipper. I've decided I really like sweaters with zippers these days. But is it just too weird to have a matching coat and poncho?? Not sure yet...

ETA Blanket to Coat - Part 3 is now posted.

O!
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Last edit 22Dec2015