Introducing the Marigold Sweater, the February Pattern for Crew!

Our new February pattern for Crew - our new monthly pattern + sewing membership - is a real beauty. The Marigold Sweater is a sophisticated knit sweater with an organic and romantic shape, and funnily enough, it's the first sweater pattern we've ever released. Join Crew starting at $10 USD a month to get it!

The inspiration for this design actually came from a ready-to-wear knit sweater. I wore it in our Learn to Sew Lingerie class, and every time we posted a clip on Instagram we'd get a million questions asking where it was from. The original sweater was made from a very heavy, fine knit, and was likely made on an industrial knitting machine in the exact shape of the final pieces. It was a fun design challenge to translate the beautiful drapey and fluid shape to fabric, and we all fell in love with the final result.

The Design

Marigold gets its gorgeous volume and shape from a wide dolman sleeve, which is gently gathered at the cuff with elastic and then wrapped in a bound cuff. The neckline is also bound for a beautiful finish. We wanted to give folks the option to wear this tucked in or out, so View A is semi-cropped and finished with a fabric band at the waist, perfect for layering over pants or a skirt. View B skips the band, and fits close through the waist so it can be tucked in if you so choose.

For this design, it's all about the drape. To achieve that, we used a slightly unconventional cutting layout with the stretch of the fabric running through the length of the body rather than across it - this creates a beautiful fluidity, especially in soft sweater knit fabrics.

Marigold is available as a PDF pattern in both our 0-20 and 14-32 size ranges - you get both with your monthly download!

Suggested Fabrics

Speaking of fabrics, for Marigold you'll need a sturdy knit fabric with at least 20% crosswise stretch. We suggest stretch fleece, French terry, ponte, and double and sweater knits. While it's definitely possible to make this in lighter-weight knits like jersey or interlock, the bound finish at neck and cuff may not look as neat using light, drapey knits. If you'd like to use a lighter knit, consider substituting a traditional "t-shirt band" at the neckline for more stability.

We have a few perfect options available at Core Fabrics. We used the delightfully cozy stretch bamboo fleece for the grey and yellow samples, which you can recreate with a Marigold sweater kit. We also used this gorgeous deadstock sweater knit but quantities are super limited for that fabric. If you'd like another colour, we have a lovely range of colours in our stretch fleece.

How to Get Marigold

Like all Crew patterns, Marigold is only available when you sign up to Crew! Subscribe at the monthly level with Essential or Plus to get it (you can cancel at any time), or sign up for our annual Unlimited plan and get Marigold, the Parchment Quilted Jacket, and 11 more patterns in the coming year!

(Please note that if you are signing up after February 2023, you'll only be able to access Marigold at the Unlimited level).

This Month in Crew

With a Crew membership, you get access to so much more than just a pattern. Each month we curate a theme page with an inspiration board and curated resources to help you assemble your pattern (this month we're sharing a fun elastic gathering hack!) You also get access to our private forum, whether you're looking for fitting or sewing help, or just want to chat about sewing with like-minded folks.

Our Plus and Unlimited members also get access to an in-depth sewing lesson with me. This month I'm teaching you how to modify Marigold into a super comfy sweatshirt dress in two different fit styles. I'll teach you some very basic patternmaking skills and help you visualize how to take a simple pattern and get the most mileage out of it. You'll also be able to join (or watch at a later time) our monthly live event. This month we're diving into our pattern production process with our production manager Veronik. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at how we develop all our Crew and Closet Core patterns, from start to finish!

We're so excited to see what you do with #ClosetCoreMarigold! Join today to get sewing!