Thursday 6 July 2017

A Self Drafted Poncho

Self Drafted Poncho
I have been wanting to make a poncho for ages, so I did some research on Google and came up with this. I'm really pleased with my first attempt, but already have a few ideas for poncho's I may make in the future.

I found a simple tutorial at Hammers and High Heels for this cute poncho. The photo on the left was Carla's inspiration and the photo on the right is what she made.



After studying the tutorial, I quickly realised that the poncho made following the tutorial was not going to look like the inspiration photo. It clearly had a separate collar. So then I googled how to make a split lapped collar and found this wonderful tutorial at Off The Cuff - Sewing Style and I was off.


I used this lovely Indigo Wool Ponte from Knitwit that I had left over from my Style Arc Estelle Ponte Jacket. It's lovely and warm and perfect for this project. I cut a rectangle with the long side twice as long as the short side. The measurements I used were 160cm x 80cm. I then folded the rectangle in half to create a square and tilted diagonally so that the hem points are at centre front and centre back.


There is only one shoulder seam to sew. The other shoulder is on the foldline. I cut a small neckline at the top diagonal point (just big enough to squeeze my head through) and then I tried it on. To get a nice fit over the shoulders the seam needs to be curved over the shoulder and the other shoulder needs a dart added to follow the shoulder curve. This was all trial and error and took a bit of sewing and resewing to get it right. I also recut the neckline once the shoulders were sitting correctly.


Once I was happy with the size and shape of the neckline, I measured it and followed the collar tutorial, linked above, to add the split lapped collar.


I love how simple, yet effective this collar is. My only regret is that I didn't make it wider so it would have been a little more snug around the neck.


For a nice neat finish on the inside, I pressed the shoulder seam and dart open, and top stitched the seam allowances down. The hems were turned twice and top stitched.


This poncho has been a welcome addition to my wardrobe and can be worn over many outfits, including those with wide sleeves that are impossible to fit a cardigan over. I did find it tends to stick to my sleeves a bit, restricting movement. Nothing the addition of a slippery lining wouldn't fix. I have lots of ideas swimming around in my head for future versions.

Happy Sewing

Jean

22 comments:

  1. I love this! I especially like how you polished it with the curved shoulder seam and curved dart on the other shoulder. I may pay you a compliment by imitating!

    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Brenda. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

      Delete
  2. very Pretty! thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very, very nice! And that fabric looks divine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kisha. The wool ponte is lovely and warm.

      Delete
  4. Wonderful. Thanks for all the details. I am going to try the simple one Diana has on her blog first. http://dianassewinglessons.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/the-four-or-five-way-wrap.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Vicki. Yes, I noticed Diana has been very busy.

      Delete
  5. Very pretty! The shoulders are so nicely curved!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marianne. I did have to sew those curves a few times before I got it right.

      Delete
  6. It turned out great! I really like the collar as is :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks very much for your lovely comment Jenya.

      Delete
  7. This looks lovely and warm and so smart. I will put your idea away until the weather here gets cooler and would then like to try one myself

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Rosemary. I hope you do try one yourself.

      Delete
  8. I was thinking the fabric looked lovely too - your camera certainly picks up details. And your lovely topstitching down the side seam. As I mentioned on IG, the collar lifts this poncho into a very smart garment. I love it !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sarah Liz. All the photos were taken with my phone...a Samsung S6. It does take great photos and I hardly use my proper camera anymore.

      Delete
  9. It looks really good and I love the collar!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your poncho looks very professional. I can't believe I used the exact same inspiration photo for mine last year, but did struggle with the collar and ended up doing my own thing. I think the slippery lining is a good idea. I'll look forward to seeing what you do next!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Megan. Funny that we both used the same inspiration picture. Would love to see your version.

      Delete
  11. Love everything about your new poncho! Beautiful! Gorgeous fabric and especially love the the collar. :)

    ReplyDelete