I'm having a cashmere love affair. It's softness makes it a wonderful indulgence, and I've been on a streak finding cashmere sweaters at the thrift store. Recently I found this really nice pullover, clearly from the 90s since it's long, and brought it home, only to discover why the tag said "as is."
It had a tiny hole right in the center of the front. Undeterred, I turned the pullover into a cardigan by machine sewing two lines of stitches up the middle to prevent raveling, and then cutting between the stitching lines with a sharp scissors. Here's a link to another sweater conversion I did using bias fabric, which has additional photos of how I cut the sweater.
At the fabric store I found a wide ribbon in a matching color, and pressed a seam along the length so that one side was a quarter inch wider that the other. I then cut a piece of pressed ribbon for each sweater front, making sure I had a little extra on the tops and bottoms.
I machine sewed the narrow side of the ribbon to the inside of the sweater, having lined up the cut edge of the sweater with the fold. Do this for each side.
Then I hand sewed the wider side of the ribbon to the outside of the sweater, and trimmed, folded, and stitched up the top and bottom ends as well. Initially I thought I'd do a Laura Ashleyesque finish on the sweater, embroidering a few French knots along the ribbon, and using a flower button for a closure.
But then I found these great wood fish beads in my stash, which is really more my style. These are purely decorative. I sewed hooks and eyes to the inside edge of the sweater.
I'm loving this new-to-me sweater.
I also stole an hour from my day to make some blocks following Debra's 1000 Pyramids Tutorial. I have a drawer of 3" strips in purples and greens. I'll throw in some yellows and oranges for good measure. When people were making 1000 Pyramids quilts for the millennium I was a newish quilter and never made one. This is my second chance.
8 comments:
I love what you did to the sweater! Your remakes are always so inspiring. I'm also thinking about the1000 pyramids as a stash buster one of these days. It would be good for my blue and yellow fabrics.
Another GREAT sweater project!
The sweater is fabulous!
What fun to see you are making a 1000 Pyramid Quilt!! Yea!
I love the buttons you chose-they are more unexpected than the girly Laura Ashley look. Great recycle!
I love the way you give new life to thrift store finds, Barbara. That quilt looks like a challenge! I just found out how to do another stash buster block and will post it soon.....
So are you going for 1,000 pryamids? ;- ) I was quilting at the turn of the millennium but never did get a quilt made in honor of the event. Guess I'll go check out Debra's tutorial!
Oh, and I meant to wish you a Happy Easter - so now I am!
Bellissimo originale bravaaaa
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