Fitting the Bonnie Cardigan Sewing Pattern
So, you’ve got your hands on the Bonnie cardigan sewing pattern – exciting! With its relaxed shape, voluminous sleeves and choice of lengths and fastenings, Bonnie is designed to be a comfortable, easy-to-wear cardigan that you can make your own.
A few simple adjustments can help you get a fit you love, whether you prefer a cropped cardigan, a longer everyday layer or sleeves that are just the right length.
Here are our fitting tips to help you get great results when sewing Bonnie.
How is Bonnie designed to fit?
Bonnie has:
- A round neckline designed to sit close to the neck
- A loose-fitting bodice for a relaxed, comfortable shape
- Voluminous raglan sleeves, cinched in at the wrists by closer-fitting cuffs or finished above the elbow
- A choice of full-length sleeves that end at the wrist, with a little extra length for a soft puff above the cuff, or shorter puff sleeves that finish above the elbow
- A choice of hip-length or cropped hemlines, with the cropped version designed to finish around the natural waist
- A closer-fitting hem band and cuffs that help the cardigan sit neatly against the body
The relaxed bodice and fuller sleeves give Bonnie its distinctive shape, while the neckband, cuffs and hem band provide a more fitted finish.
How to choose your Bonnie sewing pattern size
Holding a flexible tape measure level with the floor, measure your:
- High bust – around your upper chest, under your armpits
-
Full bust – around the fullest part of your bust
-
Waist – around the narrowest part of your torso
- Hips – around the fullest part of your hips
Compare your measurements with the body measurements chart included with the pattern instructions to choose your size.
If your measurements fall across different sizes, you may want to grade between sizes to create a more personalised fit. Our guide to how to combine sewing pattern sizes explains how to do this.
If your high bust and full bust fall into different sizes, see the section below on bust adjustments.
Bonnie is designed to have a relaxed fit through the bodice, so you don't need to size up simply to get a looser shape. Choosing a size based on your measurements will help you get the intended fit through the shoulders, neckline and sleeves, too.
Understanding Bonnie's finished measurements
The finished waist measurement in the sizing chart is for the cropped-length version of the cardigan, and refers to the circumference of the hem band and button stand when the cardigan is done up. (On the hip-length version, the finished waist measurement is the same as the finished bust measurement.)
Likewise, the finished high hip measurement is for the hip-length version of the cardigan, and also refers to the circumference of the hem band and button stand.
These measurements are smaller than your body measurements because the knit fabric is designed to stretch around you.
For Bonnie to fit as intended, your main fabric needs at least 20% stretch. If your chosen fabric has less than 20% stretch, use separate, stretchier ribbing for the hem band, button stands, neckband, and cuffs. This is what we did for the monochrome stripe cardigan worn by Rita below.
Not sure which fabric to choose? Our Meet Bonnie blog post explores this in more detail.
How to lengthen or shorten Bonnie
Bonnie comes in two lengths, but you may want to adjust the pattern pieces to suit your proportions or personal preference.
Lengthening or shortening the bodice
If you'd like to change the length of your cardigan, you can lengthen or shorten the bodices and button stand using the adjustment lines on the pattern pieces.
Bear in mind that the cropped version is designed to finish around the natural waist, while the hip-length version provides a little more coverage.
When adjusting the bodice length, remember to change the buttonhole or tie marking guide by the same amount, and redistribute the buttonhole or tie markings evenly. This helps keep the fastening details balanced and evenly spaced on your finished cardigan.
Our guide to how to lengthen or shorten a sewing pattern explains the basic technique.
How to lengthen or shorten Bonnie's sleeves
If you know that you usually need longer or shorter sleeves, you can adjust the sleeve pattern pieces before cutting out your fabric.
However, the finished sleeve length can vary depending on your proportions, the fabric you choose, and how the garment hangs on your body.
Bonnie has raglan sleeves, which extend over the shoulders rather than joining at a traditional shoulder seam. This means the sleeves may sit a little longer on someone with narrower shoulders, or shorter on someone with broader shoulders.
The sleeves are designed to be slightly on the longer side, allowing the fabric to create a lovely puff above the cuffs.
Our top tip: tack (baste) the cuffs in place before stitching them permanently. Try on your cardigan and check the sleeve length before committing to the final seam. You can then shorten the sleeves if you'd like the cuffs to sit higher, or attach them with a narrower seam allowance if you'd prefer them longer, and make a note to adjust the pattern for next time.
Fitting the cuffs
The fit of the cuffs can vary depending on the stretch percentage and thickness of your fabric. It will also come down to personal preference - whether you like your cuffs to be as close-fitting as possible, or if you prefer a looser style that you can pull down over your hands.
My best advice for fitting the cuffs is to try them on just before you attach them to the sleeves. Can you slip them on and off easily, and do they feel comfortable to wear? If you'd like a closer fit, simply re-stitch the seam further in. The sleeve can then be gathered or eased in more or less to fit. If they feel too tight, cut new cuffs to a larger size.
Grading between sizes
It's common for body measurements to fall across different pattern sizes. If that's the case for you, combining sizes along the bust, waist, and/or hips can help you achieve a more personalised fit.
For example, you might need one size at the bust and another at the waist or hips. You can blend between the relevant sizes on the pattern pieces using a smooth line.
If you’re making the hip-length version, to keep the side seams nice and smooth, don't worry about grading to your waist size, as that part is loose-fitting anyway. You can just grade from your full bust size at the top, to your hip size at the hip-length hemline.
Whichever version you’re making, remember to make the same alteration to both the front bodice and back bodice pieces, and use the same size hem band as the size you've graded to at the bottom of the bodice.
If you're lengthening or shortening the pattern as well, it's best to make those adjustments before grading between sizes.
Read our guide to how to combine sewing pattern sizes for more help.
Bust adjustments
If you have a larger bust, you might be tempted to size up to get more room through the chest. However, this can make the shoulders, neckline and sleeves too big, affecting the fit and overall shape of Bonnie.
Instead, you may find it helpful to choose your size based on your high bust measurement and make a full bust adjustment (FBA) to add room through the bust without unnecessarily increasing the size of the rest of the cardigan.
Our tutorial on how to do a full bust adjustment on a raglan sleeve sewing pattern walks you through the process.
If you're new to bust adjustments, our Fitting Help page and Bodice Fitting for Home Sewing online workshop are both useful resources.
Don't overfit Bonnie!
One final thing to remember: Bonnie is designed to have a relaxed bodice and voluminous sleeves, with a closer fit at the neckline, cuffs and hem band.
Try not to get too caught up in making every part of the cardigan fit closely to your body. The ease through the bodice and sleeves is intentional and helps create the comfortable shape that makes Bonnie such a lovely everyday layer.
Focus on getting a comfortable fit through the neckline and shoulders, checking the sleeve length, and making sure the hem band sits where you'd like it to. Small adjustments can make a big difference without losing the character of the design.
Once you've found your preferred fit, you can sew Bonnie again in different fabrics, colours and combinations of sleeves, lengths and fastenings.
Share your Bonnie makes!
We'd LOVE to see your versions. Share your handmade Bonnie cardigan on Instagram using #SewingBonnie and tag @TillyButtons so we can admire your work!
