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After a brief interlude, I finally hunkered down yesterday and reopened my pattern shop! And kicking off the spring pattern line is this lightweight cotton cardigan, in rose pink of course.(note: if you're asking yourself, "didn't she just make a different rose-colored cardigan last week?"......well, the answer is Yes, I did. Don't judge me for loving the pink, people.)
I developed quite a fondness for cutting my sweaters in half this past winter, and decided that just because I no longer have need for wool doesn't mean I can't keep slicing with my scissors!
Besides, I'm always in need of cardigans. I find them infinitely more practical than long-sleeved tees. How, for instance, am I going to show off my cute tank tops and frilly blouses if they're covered up under a pullover?
Certainly some kind of protection is required, because I do live in Colorado where the spring season means snow in the morning and sun by afternoon. It's hardly the kind of weather I'd feel safe in wearing just a sleeveless top.
Light cotton cardigans are also very practical even during the heat of summer, because the hotter it gets outside, the more unbearably cold it gets inside, thanks to the overzealous use of air conditioning.
I know you know what I'm talking about.
Of course, as with all of my patterns for fashion and home, this one recycles used clothing by upgrading its style and function. Some scissors, a little satin fabric, and my sewing machine and I had a fun new sweater to replace a boring tee.
And in fact, you don't even need a sewing machine for this one! Just an iron and some fabric adhesive (like stitch witchery) would do the trick!
To learn more about my pattern for this SPRING CARDIGAN, click here.
What is your go-to garment for spring weather? Share by posting your comment below!
I tried ribbon. I tried ruffles. I considered satin and silk. But everything just looked wrong coupled with this old ribbed sweater I've been carting around for years.
And then I tried wool. Herringbone wool, to be precise. 
The wool was from a thrift-store pair of trousers I bought several months ago. I never intended to wear the trousers (believe me, they were Not the cutest...), but instead saw potential in the fabric. Little did I know that they would turn another one of my bland sweaters into one of my new favorite cardigans.
With elbow patches, of course. There aren't nearly enough elbow patches in the world today, don't you think? I'm just doing my part...
The style is classic. Cotton and wool hand-stitched together--what could be more versatile and timeless than that? And easy. The panels at the top of the sweater are just laid directly over the original knit. And the pockets are imposters--really just strips of wool pretending to be functional.
This particular sweater is a grayish-blue and brown, but I also think that cream with tan would look fantastic. In fact, I might just have to hit the thrift store sometime soon in search of that combo.
And as with all of my sweater makeovers, this one was very nearly free.
In other related holiday news, can you believe that we only have a couple weeks left of this holiday season? I have a few more crafty ideas up my sleeve for Christmas and New Years...and then it's on to other crafty ideas for 2010! (you didn't think I'd stop making things just because the holidays are over, did you? Because that would be crazy. Crazy.)
As always, happy crafting!
Consider making this classic design for yourself or as a gift this season! Click here to learn more about this pattern.
I have a black turtleneck that I love to wear this time of year. It is soft and warm, and just a tiny bit sheer. I bought it to replace a different black turtleneck I've owned for several years. This second sweater was decidedly less flattering. It was too bulky. Too faded. And too boring.
But of course you all know me well enough by now to know that underperforming garments are my favorite New things to wear. Once they've been reVamped, of course.
Like several of my other outdated sweaters, I decided to cut this one in half down the front, too. Unlike my other sweaters, however, I wanted to try something new with an asymmetrical design, and I figured that a turtleneck was the perfect style for it. 
Perfect because the "turtle" neck, when cut in half, naturally evolves into a funky, floppy, oversize collar. 
And with a little satin ribbon stitched along the edges, plus a fancy brooch to fasten them together, I had a new cardigan from a rather boring sweater.
Perhaps you can tell just by my description that this is one of the Easiest patterns I've made this season! Even a sewing novice could handstitch the ribbon trim in a few hours time. Or a more experienced sewer could make this lovely upgrade on a sewing machine in about 30 minutes.
Naturally my favorite part of this project--and the others I've made this holiday season--is that it makes good use of something I already own. It has been downright exciting for me to see my wardrobe expand while also rediscovering castaways I'd long since forgotten.
And it has given me great gift ideas for friends and family as well--not just for holidays, but also for birthdays, anniversaries, special events, and more!
To learn more about reVamping your own turtleneck, click here to visit my Ribbon-Trim Cardigan pattern!
One of my favorite sayings of late is actually an old adage. An adage that I hadn't heard until recently, and now can't get out of my head. It says:
A dollar saved is easier than a dollar earned.
So when I saw this Adorable cardigan in J.Crew's fall collection (by the way, I think Everything in J.Crew's fall collection is adorable. It's probably a good thing we don't have a store around here!), I wondered how I could get my hands on one while still abiding by the adage.
If you guessed that I started rummaging through my closet, you'd be right. It just so happens that I've been hanging onto this merino-blend bland beige sweater for years. And every season I wear it less and less.
You might notice that it is conveniently the same hue as the J.Crew cardi.
Next I located my yarn/tapestry needle, which you can find at almost any craft store.
Then I raided my yarn stash in search of a color for the stripes and came across this gray ball of scrap yarn that I've probably had for 7 years. It is too scratchy and...well...acrylic to make anything of substance with. But it's perfect for embellishment!
Never one to trust my ability to eyeball a straight line (although believe me I've tried many times, always with disastrously crooked effects), I decided to measure and tape off a line for my first stripe.
And yes, I know they have all of these wonderful products like tailor's chalk and washable fabric pens...but I have found that many, many solutions can be uncovered using masking tape.
I guess that kinda makes me like one of those guys who lauds the perfection of duct tape. Anyhoo...
It was time to start the striping. Normally when stitching onto a knitted fabric it is recommended that you use a v-shaped stitch to match the original weave.
But I'm a rebel, so I went for a straight stitch instead. Fashion purists be warned!
So far I've worked my way across the front of the sweater, and a portion of the back. And the whole time I was stitching while watching the new Office episode, my husband was watching me.
Finally he said "is it really worth it?"
To which I replied, "Why yes--it's precisely $98.00 worth it."
Truly a dollar saved is easier than one earned.
Stay tuned for show & tell of the finished cardigan, coming soon!
Previous Related Posts:
Alterations
Trendy
Redux
It's official. I have caught the "what-stylish-thing-can-I-make-out-of-my-existing-wardrobe" bug.
Personally I blame Mrs. Marple.
It was her class yesterday that got me contemplating the many ways I could transform my old clothing into new things.
Like this plain ivory tank top that I've been wearing for years. Sure, I like it alright, but I think I would like it even more with layers upon layers of polka dot ruffles. Wouldn't you?
Polka dots from this skirt, for instance, that I've had stuffed in a drawer for about 5 years. Once upon a time I loved this skirt. But that time has long since passed.
The truth is that converting old things into new things is virtuous for a number of reasons. The first is obvious: it cuts down on unnecessary consumerism by making good use of things we've already purchased.
Naturally this is good for our wallets and the environment.
But it is also good for other, less conventional reasons. Like exercising our problem solving skills, for instance.
The practice of seeing old things with fresh new eyes is a universally flattering skill, and can be applied to areas outside of fashion. Like work, for instance.
Challenging our creativity is also far more rewarding than simply gratifying someone else's inspired items. Sure I can buy the latest and greatest from Michael Kors or Mark Jacobs (well, I can't because they're too expensive, but you get my point...), but creating something with my own hands from the vision in my mind is Much More rewarding. Frankly, it boosts the ego.
Furthermore, it gives us a reprieve from the consumer auto-pilot that we often find ourselves on. You know the one--like when we (okay, me) walk into Target for toilet paper and walk out with 100 dollars worth of unplanned merchandise (this has happened to me more than once...). 
So often we (okay, me) use our purchasing power to make us feel better after a stressful day or fight with our husband/boyfriend/friend. And then the shopping buzz wears off faster than our tension headache.
What we (okay, me again) often don't realize is that creative expression, and the process of making something from hand (aka actually interacting with the production of the "stuff" in our lives) provides us with a fulfilling outlet that trumps a shopping-high any day.
Plus we still end up with fancy loot.
Gee--this Mrs. Marple is certainly wearing off on me! Here I am going on and on about the virtuous of old-stuff-turned-new when you already know all of this.
So I'll stop talking. After all, I have a plain ivory tank top to convert into a fabulous ruffled number that my husband will undoubtedly glance right over without noticing the design genius.
But he might appreciate the financial savings...
Previous Related Posts:
Day 14: Alterations
Fall Project Preview (making a graphic t-shirt)
Nesting: Nurturing my Maternal Side (making a baby-quilt)
Today in Mrs. Marple's class we learned about transforming the old and boring into the new and fun.Otherwise known as taking my bland cable sweater that I purchased five years ago from Wal-Mart and converting it into a chic new cardigan.When Mrs. Marple started the lecture by asking us to think of something that we already own that had perhaps lost its luster, I immediately considered this sweater.
And my recent obsession with ruffles.
She then encouraged us to start envisioning that item as something else. I saw a cardigan with three-quarter sleeves. So, casting fear aside, I took my fabric shears and cut this sweater right down the middle.
Then I rather unceremoniously chopped the sleeves off at the elbows.
And then it was time to embellish. I rummaged through my fabric stash and located this soft gray checkered remnant that I salvaged from Habitat for Humanity's thrift store.
I knew it would be a perfect fit for the ruffles.
After some brainstorming, I decided that the best thing to do was fold under the raw edges on each strip, making sure to sew a zig-zag stitch along the sides to prevent fraying.
Then, after finishing four strips, I tucked and pinned each ruffle into place, which doesn't take as long as you might think. Plus I was simultaneously watching previous episodes of Glee while pinning (have you seen that show!? It's probably my new favorite. And yes--I once was a choir geek.)
I wasn't too worried about perfection here, because really--is someone going to measure my ruffles to make sure they're all the same width? I think not! And if they tried, I'd probably have to harm them, because that's just plain weird.
Consider yourself warned.
Once the ruffles were pinned and stitched onto the cardigan, I sewed the sleeve cuffs back onto the sleeves (cleverly making sure that they could fold up--this took some problem solving and lots of second guessing...) and then I sewed hooks-and-eyes along the middle to close the sweater.
Finally, I finished it all off with a slender belt.
And now that I've finished prancing around the house in my old-now-new cardigan, and bragging gratuitously to my husband about how I didn't spend any money on my newest fashion find, I should pause and thank Mrs. Marple for having such a good idea.
Frankly I can't wait to hunt through my closet to see what other cast-offs I can find!
See you tomorrow!
Previous Days at the Institute:
Day 10: the balancing act (as told through vintage advertisements)
Day 9: pink, pink & pink
Day 6: premade hostess
After a brief interlude, I finally hunkered down yesterday and reopened my pattern shop! And kicking off the spring pattern line is this lightweight cotton cardigan, in rose pink of course.
I developed quite a fondness for cutting my sweaters in half this past winter, and decided that just because I no longer have need for wool doesn't mean I can't keep slicing with my scissors! 
Certainly some kind of protection is required, because I do live in Colorado where the spring season means snow in the morning and sun by afternoon. It's hardly the kind of weather I'd feel safe in wearing just a sleeveless top.
Light cotton cardigans are also very practical even during the heat of summer, because the hotter it gets outside, the more unbearably cold it gets inside, thanks to the overzealous use of air conditioning.
Of course, as with all of my patterns for fashion and home, this one recycles used clothing by upgrading its style and function. Some scissors, a little satin fabric, and my sewing machine and I had a fun new sweater to replace a boring tee.
And in fact, you don't even need a sewing machine for this one! Just an iron and some fabric adhesive (like stitch witchery) would do the trick!
