Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Cardigan Refashioned

I bought this cute little 3/4 sleeve cardigan for a steal, but was a little overwhelmed by its glittery beads and citrus flair. Hmm, what to do, but make it mine...

I first removed all of the beads and buttons, which I'm sure will pop up in another project down the line. I then measured the existing fabric detail and added a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides. Then I ironed over the seam allowances and pinned the fabric into place. After that, I sat down with a good movie (crucial step) and hand stitched the fabric to the sweater. (As a side note, this would be an easy addition to any sweater whether or not there was an existing fabric detail. I also covered all of the button holes as I don't tend to button my cardigans. You could easily measure and mark the existing button hole placements on your fabric strip.) After that, I cut two strips of fabric 4" wide by about 2x the length of the circumference of the sleeve. I ironed over the edges 1/4" and machine stitched. I then folded and stitched again for a finished edge. After that, I machine basted along the length just inside one finished seam and used the basting stitch to gather the ruffle. I then pinned my ruffle (slightly overlapping the short ends) on the inside of the sleeve and hand-stitched in place. This is a great project for your fabric stash and perfect for updating an old or thrifted cardigan.

1 comment:

lgaumond said...

Very cute! I wish you could do that to some of my tired-looking sweaters.