papercut copelia, pucci-style

a while back in 2013 i scored a great piece of pucci border-print knit in the knits bin at mood fabrics.  and it sat, and it sat, and it sat in my stash as i debated the options.  since i only bought one panel, i knew i wanted something relatively small.  since the panel had a huge design as well as a border print, i knew it needed to be something that would respect the integrity of the graphics.

my enabler at mood suggested a skirt, but the fabric was so tissue-thin and drapey that i knew that wouldn’t work.  obviously i considered a renfrew as well, but the border section of the panel wasn’t meant for a half-length sleeve and i don’t like short sleeves on my renfrews.

i moved on to raglan-sleeve designs, considering, of course, a sloppy josephine by papercut, but in laying out my pattern pieces i was hit with an epiphany – the bold square design demanded the diagonal fronts of a wrap, not the simple, uncomplicated lines of a T.

i also felt that this enabled me to get the most use out of my fabric  – and believe me, i needed to hoard every scrap.  the border areas i saved for the tie belt, sleeve cuffs, and neckband.  i was able to squeeze a half raglan sleeve in the extra border area of the print. i used the corners of the square for my two front pieces and did my best to center the back of the cardi exactly in the center of the design.

no easy feat, by the by, since the fabric was so thin and so drapey that keeping anything in a line was nigh impossible, but on the whole i am pleased with the result.  i especially love the colors – when i was a kid i was always told that red and pink do not go together, so imagine my childish glee at pairing red, pink and purple with a pair of red cords and a purple belt and my combat boots for a friday outfit.

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