Alabama Chanin-Style Reverse Applique Cardigan

I enjoyed reading several of Alabama Chanin's design books from the library and especially admired how a blogger approached the techniques using a cardigan pattern. One of the library books came with a disc with a few PDF stencil patterns on it. I took a practice run by making a scarf. I paid to have a 20"x30" print job done, then traced the shapes onto 6 mil. thick plastic with a sharpie. I then proceeded to carve out each shape with an Exacto knife working on a big piece of cardboard. This took more hours than I can even remember, but I just kept plugging away at it. 

Large print of stencil pattern- Anna's Garden from Alabama Chanin

Pattern traced on plastic- ready to start cutting

I cut out the Helen's Closet Blackwoods Cardigan pattern, size 10 in the shorter view. I almost cut out the bands and cuffs from the darker fabric, which would have been a waste, but I caught myself.

Outer fabric needed to include bands and cuffs

Inner fabric just fronts, back and sleeves

Next, I used my hand-cut stencil to stencil the cut pieces. I experimented with black paint vs navy paint and found the black was too stark so I went with navy.

I used blue tape to secure the stencil over the fabric pieces, and I mixed the acrylic paint (in an old peanut butter jar lid) with about 1:1 water and used a pounce brush. The stenciling took time. I had to wash the stencil in the laundry sink after stenciling each piece, and I discovered that I hadn't done a very good job on one of the fronts and had to go back to darken the paint in a few areas. The back was just a little wider than the stencil, so I filled in the sides with a few additional leaf figures.

Back

Fronts

All pieces completed and touched-up

After the paint was fully dry, I used small scissors to pre-cut small snips in all of the stenciled figures so they would be easier to open later with less risk of cutting through the bottom layer. This was a good tip from the blogger I'd referenced above.

Using a hoop, I stitched running stiches around each of the stenciled shapes, which took months to get through.

Stitching during a car ride

When cutting away the top fabric once stitched, I learned that pointed scissors too easily cut through the bottom fabric and I needed to make a few repairs. Once I started using my small Gingher scissors with the taller blade between the two fabrics and tweezers to hold up the top layer, I was able to do this safely, but it was time-consuming. I also learned my Ginghers are dull, so I had to alternate with another small pair of scissors.

I finished stitching the back on our trip to Glacier and Banff

Once I'd finished hand stitching the back, fronts and sleeves, I proceeded to sew them together and add the finishing bands. I'm pleased with the final fit.

Materials:

• 20" X 30" print job for stencil PDF at Fedex store, $14
• Stencil plastic, 6 mil thickness, $14
• Craft knife, $10
• Blackwoods cardigan digital pattern, $16
• Pattern printing, AO 2 pages plus shipping, $10
• Small bottle Creatix paint, $5
• 2 Wax brushes, $10
• 2 colors of knit jersey from SR Harris, 1.5 yds each, and Coats button & craft thread, $22

This project took a long time. I started cutting the stencil in April 2024. I cut out the pieces and painted them in Jan 2025. I hand-stitched off and on through 2025, and assembled the cardigan in Feb 2026.