Chris took me down to the Cape this past weekend for my birthday (which is today, by the way!).  Can you believe it, he’s lived here all of his life and he’s never been to Cape Cod??  The last time I visited the Cape was on a family vacation when I was eight years old; I remember going whale watching and sitting on the boat, very cold and bored for several hours.  We had a much more fun this time – walked down the Main Street of Hyannis, ate fried clams, and looked at seashells on the beach.  No, we didn’t run into any Kennedys, but there were JFK memorials everywhere around the town.

And of course, I needed an excuse to whip up something to wear this weekend!  Since it was going to be a little on the chilly side (we ate outside and freezed our butts off when the sun went down!), I stitched up a cardi to wear a few hours before the trip.

It’s pretty much obligatory to wear Sperry Top Siders and nautical stripes when you’re down on the Cape.

I googled “free cardigan sewing patterns” and came up with this cardigan from iCandy Handmade.  It’s a dolman sleeve cardigan with hem bands at the sleeves and neck (note: there’s no grainline on the front piece (wtf), it’s advisable to add one.  I didn’t and my sleeves twist a little).  I think this took me about two hours to make, from printing out the pattern to finishing the hem.  And if I had a serger, it would look a lot more professional, especially on the inside…when there’s a breeze, it’s easy to see my raw edges inside the cardigan.  It’s not my best work, but it was quick and easy to make as well as comfy to wear.  I really need to get on the ball about making more wardrobe basics like this – they’re not as exciting to make as other garments, but I wear them a ton.

Did you have a nice weekend?  Looks like the weather is going to be great here all week!