Lulu Cardigan Sewalong, Part 4: Attaching the neck binding and sleeves

By the end of this post, your cardigan will start looking like a cardigan!

First, let’s attach the Neck Binding

The pattern instructs to cut this piece out of ribbing material, which has a lot of stretch. If you are cutting it from your main fabric, you may want to size it up two sizes if your fabric is not super stretchy or else it may cause puckering at the neckline. We’ll be stretching this piece to fit the neck opening.

Fold the Neck Binding in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press in place.

Then pin the Neck Binding to the neck opening of the bodice that we assembled in the last post. Pin the center of the binding to the center back first, aligning the notches, right sides together. Then pin the curved ends of the binding to the center front notches near the edge of the Center Front Bodice. Next, you’ll stretch and evenly distribute the neck binding along the neckline, pinning in place. Don’t be shy with your pins (sadly, I forgot to photograph it pinned in place)!

Carefully sew or serge the Neck Binding in place while stretching to fit the neckline. Press the seam allowance toward the bodice and topstitch in place. The center front of the bodice will have a little extra fabric extending past the binding. Fold this down and topstitch in place also.

Next up: Sleeves!

Fold the Sleeve in half lengthwise—right sides together—to sew the sleeve seam. Press the seam toward the back of the sleeve (Indicated with double notchs at the sleeve cap).

Then, turn the Sleeve right side out. Turn the bodice inside out and align the top of the sleeve with the armscye from inside the bodice as shown below. The seam of the sleeve will align with the notch on the Side panel, the double notch on the back of the sleeve cap will align with the princess seam at the back bodice, and the single notch on the front of the sleeve cap will align with the front bodice princess seam. Once you have those notches aligned, match the notch at the top of the sleeve cap with the notch on the Shoulder Patch and ease the rest of the sleeve into place and pin to secure.

Carefully sew the perimeter of the armscye to attach the sleeve. Press the seam into the sleeve. If you are feeling adventurous, you can also topstitch the seam here, although I did not do this so it is not shown.

Repeat for the opposite sleeve and viola! it’s starting to come together! Pull the sleeves right side out and try it on to check the fit.

In the next post in the Lulu Sewalong Series, we’ll construct the hem band and install the zipper for Version A.