Cadence verses Harmony

Since Harmony was released last week, several people have asked “Cadence verses Harmony, what’s the difference?” The simple answer, quite a bit!

At first glance, Cadence and Harmony look very similar, however, they are quite different.

Two tops, both designed specifically for light weight woven fabrics with drape. Both tops have bust darts and a rounded neckline and can be made with short sleeves. Both patterns have the option of a full bust piece. And, that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

Lengths and Hem

Let’s start with the obvious. Cadence comes loaded with different lengths. You can sew a Cadence in top length, knee length dress or maxi dress. The top length of Cadence is drafted to hit at the full hip and features a straight hem with side vents. Harmony is drafted as a top. Featuring a curved, gentle high low hem that hits high hip in the front and just below full seat in the back, Harmony allows for a bit more coverage in the back than Cadence.

Neckline and Closures

If you don’t want to take the time to sew any closures, Cadence is for you. Cadence has a scooped neckline that allows you to slip it on without any zippers or buttons to fasten. A faced neckline gives you a clean finish without any topstitching along the neckline. If you are sewing with a sheer fabric, Harmony may be your choice. A bias faced neck allows you to use light weight fabrics that may allow a facing to show through. If you prefer a higher neckline, Harmony has you covered. A key hole button closure gives you an opportunity to add a beautiful button for an accent detail. Want to add a nice detail element to Cadence, take advantage of the notched scoop neckline option.

Fit

Both Cadence and Harmony have bust darts and a back seam that create beautiful shaping and a lovely fit in the chest and back. However, Harmony allows for a bit more ease in the waist and hips creating a soft silhouette as the fabric drapes over your body. Cadence is still a relaxed fit, but gives more shaping in the waist and hips. Cadence also has the option for  a drawstring or elastic casing creating a gentle hugging waist.

Sleeves

Cadence has five (yes FIVE!) of sleeve options included in the pattern allowing you to sew for every season, tank, short, 3/4, flare and bishop. Harmony has four options, sleeveless (yes, this is different than a tank as you can see in the image above), cap sleeve, short, and flutter. However, Harmony allows you to borrow the sleeves from Rhapsody, so you can add an even wider range of options including a 3/4 length with a cuff or with a flare, a bishop sleeve or a trumpet sleeve. You can add the Rhapsody sleeves to Cadence, but you will have to borrow the armscye from Rhapsody and add it to Cadence to do so.

As you can see, there are plenty of differences between Cadence and Harmony!

I have both in my wardrobe and each gives me opportunities that I wouldn’t have if I only had one of them available to me. Today is the final day to take advantage of Harmony’s introductory sale price! Don’t miss out!