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Hello everyone! Shelley here again, and today I’m excited to share a fun project with you all—a ballet-inspired wrap cardigan. It all started with a lively discussion in our Oliver + S Facebook group. We were brainstorming ideas for sewing projects, and someone mentioned how cool it would be to create a wrap cardigan for kids. That got me thinking—my daughter would absolutely adore something like this, so I decided to give it a shot.
The School Bus T-shirt is such a versatile pattern, and it served as the perfect foundation for this project. I loved its relaxed yet well-fitted silhouette, so I knew it would work beautifully as the base for a stylish wrap top. The challenge was figuring out how to incorporate the bottom band and ties seamlessly. Let’s dive into the process and see how it turned out!
First things first: I adjusted the length of the pattern. The School Bus T-shirt has a longer hem that falls below the hips, but I wanted my wrap top to sit just above the hip area instead. To achieve this, I shortened both the front and back pieces of the pattern by the same amount. Just remember, the bottom band will add about an inch of length back, so keep that in mind when measuring.
Next, I duplicated the front pattern piece so that I’d have both sides. If you’re using a PDF pattern, it’s super simple—just print it twice and tape the two halves together, with one printed side facing up and the other facing down. Since I trace my patterns, I simply traced both halves to form the complete front piece.
Now comes the fun part: creating the V-neckline. Draw a straight-ish diagonal line from the neckline edge of one shoulder to a point about four-fifths of the way across the bottom edge of the pattern piece. If you’re worried about how deep the V will go, draw the same line from the other side, too. Where these lines intersect will roughly determine the lowest point of the neckline. If the intersection happens close to the armhole, the top might not be suitable for wearing alone—it’s usually worn over a leotard anyway, so that’s totally fine.
Play around with the angle until you’re satisfied with the result. Then, carefully cut along the line to divide the pattern piece. Now you’re ready to cut your fabric! Follow the original instructions for cutting the back piece and sleeves, and cut two fronts using the modified pattern piece, ensuring they’re mirror images of each other.
With the basic construction underway, stabilize and sew the shoulder seams as usual. Measure the neckline to determine the appropriate length for your neckband. Depending on your fabric’s stretch, the neckband should be approximately 75% of the measured neckline length. Use the width of the neckband from the School Bus T-shirt pattern as a guide.
For this project, I cut my neckband 1 1/4 inches wide and also prepared two strips of fabric 2 1/2 inches wide by the full width of my knit fabric. These will serve as the bottom band and ties. Fold the neckband with its long edges together and press it, choosing to have the “wrong†side of the fabric face outward for a unique look.
Mark the center of the neckband and pin it to the center back neckline of the top. Stretch the neckband to fit snugly around the neckline and sew it with a 1/4-inch seam. Press the neckband away from the top and seam allowances.
Moving on to the bottom band and ties, measure the hemline of your garment and cut two strips accordingly. Stretch the bottom band slightly while pinning it to the lower edge of the top, right sides together. Stitch the bottom band to the top with a 1/4-inch seam, starting and stopping at the angled points of the front pattern piece.
At this point, add a small rectangle of interfacing to the inside of the waistband at the wearer’s right side seam to create the buttonhole for the tie to exit. Decide whether you prefer the cardigan to tie on one side or at the back—both styles look great depending on personal preference.
Trim the tie strips to a manageable length and fold them right sides together. Pin the ties securely in place, ensuring the T-shirt front remains out of the way. Sew the short end and long edges of the ties together, leaving about 1/2 inch past the attachment point. Repeat for the other side, trim the corners, and turn the ties right side out.
Press the ties and fold the bottom edge of the waistband by 1/4 inch toward the wrong side. Bring the folded edge up to cover the stitching where the ties attach and pin it securely. Edgestitch or zigzag stitch the waistband in place, but I prefer to stitch in the ditch from the right side of the garment for a cleaner finish.
Finally, work a long buttonhole in the waistband just below the right side seam, where you placed the interfacing. This allows the tie from the left side to exit and wrap around to the back or side to be tied.
Hem the sleeves or add cuffs if desired, and voilà ! Your beautiful ballet wrap cardigan is ready to wear. I hope you enjoyed following along and feel inspired to try this project yourself. Let me know what you think in the comments below!