Ficus Cardigan – A Ladies Peplum Cardigan

Almost immediately after Sew Like My Mom released her Fern Cardigan, there was demand for a ladies version.  It really is such a lovely cardigan (and I do so love cardigans!), so I was excited to test the Ficus Cardigan.

The Ficus Cardigan is available in XXS through 3XL and is intended for knit fabric.  It is a fitted cardigan with a large collar, three sleeve options, and includes a tie option for a more polished look.  She includes lots of tips and recommendations for selecting fabric to get your right fit.  For example, if you have 30-50% stretch, you would select your size based on your chest size, but if you have more stretch, then size down.  I tested size XXS with long sleeves and no tie.

I did make a quick muslin to check for any bodice length changes, as the bodice and peplum are supposed to meet at the natural waistline.  I used a scuba knit which was probably not the best choice, but I just wanted to check length for changes.  After seeing it I couldn’t really decide if I wanted to shorten it or not, so I didn’t make any changes.

My next version I used a lightweight French Terry that had almost 50% stretch.  I tested the length before adding the collar, and it definitely needed to be shortened an inch.  I was able to remove the peplum and remove the inch from the bodice, then reattach the peplum.  In the image above, you can see the before on the left, my gorgeous hand carved seam ripper in the middle (#sve2017), and the after on the right.  I also had to remove an inch from each end of the collar.

It was very simple to sew together, most being done on my serger and hems on my coverstitch.  This material is also quite soft and easy to sew with.  I picked it up a few months back at Fabric Outlet.

I’m very happy with the way it looks, and I added my own belt to help tie it together.  I really loved all of the testers’ Ficus Cardis.  Seriously a flattering pattern.  It has such a wide variety of looks depending on the fabric selected.  Some looked very polished and others looked quite casual.

The Ficus Cardigan is now available on sale through Wednesday.  It is also bundled with the Fern Cardigan on sale as well.  I can’t wait to make a Fern for my little one and be all matchy matchy 😉