Jalie 3353: Almost Instant Gratification

Sometimes all you want is a fast and easy-to-sew project.

You might need to fill a “hole” in your wardrobe, or maybe you want to use up a fabric from your stash. You could even be sick of fiddling with a complicated project that just won’t sew itself!

Enter Jalie Cocoon cardigan. Just 4 pattern pieces; front, back, sleeve cuff, and circular band. A few instructions that you barely need to reference (sew front to back at shoulder/sleeve seam, sew sleeve/side seam; apply cuffs, sew band pieces into a circle and attach to sweater) and this baby is done and done! Not even 1 hour of sewing time!

Cocoon sweaters are “in” again this season, and for a good reason. They are comfy, can be made from a variety of knit fabrics, and the shape can be adjusted slightly to flatter most figures. Oh and yes, they are a very quick sew!

While I do definitely like cocoon sweaters, I am not a fan of the styles with wide, batwing-ish sleeves. Too.Much.Fabric. The slimmer silhouette of Jalie 3353 works just about perfectly for my design aesthetic.

One thing. I did find the sleeves on this pattern to be a bit short and wide for my taste. After shooting these pix, I removed at least 3 inches from the lower sleeve circumference, and added a longer cuff to get the overall sleeve length I wanted. The sleeves was just too floppy, IMHO.

It is an easy pattern change – just remove an equal amount from the upper sleeve seam and the lower sleeve seam. I determined the amount to remove by basting first, trying on for fit, and then serging off the excess width.

I plan to make this sweater again using a yummy, red bamboo sweater knit currently resting in my stash. This pattern is a great topper for  pants and a tee, and provides just the right amount of warmth. I think it is a keeper!

What do you think of this silhouette? Have you ever tried wearing or making a cocoon-style sweater?

Happy sewing!

Maris