Sew Cuddly Book Blog Hop: Shannon Fabrics + Susan Hastings

Today is the 10th project in our Sew Cuddly Book blog series. Today we are excited to feature Shannon Fabrics Brand Ambassador, Susan Hastings and her Cuddle® poncho.

Hello! My name is Susan and I’m a Brand Ambassador for Shannon Fabrics in Utah. I’ve had the opportunity to teach events in the Salt Lake Valley and at Pinterest Conventions in Dallas, TX and Salt Lake City, UT with my custom quilt making business Kwytch.

I chose to make the Poncho in Luxe Cuddle® Llama because I live in Utah and it has been a VERY cold winter! This stylish Poncho is a great addition to my collection of outerwear--I wore it for the first time to the Sundance Film Festival! Luxe Cuddle® Llama comes in 8 beautiful colors: White, Ivory, Rosewater, Sand, Cocoa, Silver, Denim and Navy. Lining the Poncho with Silky Satin makes it slide easily over whatever you wear underneath.

Supplies Needed:

Sew Cuddly book by Judy Gauthier
Luxe Cuddle® Llama Ivory (2 yards)
Silky Satin Ivory Ivory for the lining (3.5 yards)
10 Decorative Buttons

Supplies not listed in the pattern, but that I found very helpful:

So Fine! Polyester Thread by Superior Threads
BERNINA Sewing Machine with a walking foot
SCHMETZ Size 90 Jersey or Stretch Needle
Kai Serrated Scissors
Olfa Rotary Cutter
Omnigrid Acrylic Ruler
Marking Pen and Highlighter Marker
Masking Tape, Clear Tape, and a tape measure
Lots of Pins!

Let’s get started:

I first downloaded the pattern and printed it. I taped the pattern pieces together with clear tape matching along the connecting lines. Be sure to cut out the Poncho pattern with craft scissors --- NOT SEWING SCISSORS!

I highlighted the neckline, center front (Fold) and drew arrows in the direction of the nap on my pattern pieces. By highlighting these things it reminded me that I need to pay close attention to my pattern placement. Luxe Cuddle® Llama has a nap and I wanted to make sure the nap was going down from shoulder seam to the bottom of the poncho.

With my favorite Kai 7250SE scissors, I cut out pattern pieces. The serrated edge grabs the fabric and makes a beautiful clean cut. Having a vacuum nearby made it much easier to clean up the “Cuddle fuzz” as I went. It was easier to sew without the fuzz in my way while I worked. I also wrote on masking tape “Front” and “Back” and put this on the back side of the Llama Cuddle® near the neckline. This made it easy for me to quickly determine the top or bottom of the pattern piece (and the nap of the Llama Cuddle®) as I assembled the Poncho.

I used the ruler, tape measure and marking pen on the back of the Llama Cuddle® to mark the cowl neck and sleeve pattern pieces. I paid attention to the “Grain of Fabric” as I cut the cowl neck pattern, making sure that the shortest length was the same direction as the “Grain of Fabric” so the cowl neck didn’t stretch out and sag. My cutting mat, quilting ruler, and rotary cutter made quick work of cutting out the lining--serrated scissors would work great at well.

Using a walking foot on my Bernina sewing machine with a 3.5 stitch length, I sewed the poncho front to back at the shoulder seams. Lots of pins will help. Next I attached the sleeves matching the center of the sleeve to the shoulder seam. I slowly tucked the Llama Cuddle® fibers into the seam as I sewed. This kept more of the fluff on the outside of the Poncho. It also helped me see the edge of my seam more clearly, making sure I had both edges even. I repeated these same steps assembling the satin lining.

When I got to this step in making the Poncho I thought it would be easier to sew all around the perimeter leaving the neck hole open. By doing it this way, it finished off the bottom front and back seams so I didn’t have to sew them by hand **Anything I can have a machine do rather than hand sewing saves me lots of time! I clipped the corners and turned the Poncho right side out.

On a large flat surface I spread out the Poncho matching the shoulder and arm seams. I used lots of pins to secure both fabrics together. With the satin side up, I “stitched in the ditch” of those seams securing the shoulder area.

I sewed the cowl neck collar and attached it at the neck opening. I finished off the seam with satin bias tape. Finally, I added 5 decorative buttons along the bottom edge of each sleeve following the instructions.

WOW! This Luxe Cuddle® Llama Poncho turned out even better than I had imagined! It is very comfortable and super snuggly, and BONUS---It’s machine washable! Skip liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets to keep the fabric extra fluffy and soft. I’d love to see your poncho! Post photos using the hashtag #sewcuddlysewalong.

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I design, sew, and market Cuddle® creations for my business Kwytch. Kwytch is a spin on the Welsh word meaning a soft, snuggly hug! I do LOVE all things warm and cozy--and this poncho fits the bill. All of the things I manufacture for my business are made with the BEST Minky Fabric on the market --- Cuddle® Fabric from Shannon Fabrics. You can find me on Facebook at Kwytch and Instagram at @kwytchquilts.

Thank you, Judy Gauthier for creating this amazing book full of fun projects! To purchase the book from the author please visit her shop Bungalow Quilting

Happy Poncho making!

Susan Hastings

Be sure to check out the entire blog hop schedule below: