Tag: sweater up-sew

Another Slouch Sweater – Maroon Merino

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I hadn’t intended on making another sweater, but the longer the winter goes on, the more sweaters I need, and also this sweater pattern I adapted is perfect for me.  It sews up quickly, and layers well.

I got this sweater a few weeks ago, and only for the label ‘100% fine merino’ I would have left it there!  As it already had a good ribbed polo, I decided to work with what I had rather than take it apart fully.  I cut off the sleeves and cut the sleeves keeping the original seam in the sleeve rather than lose 1cm by resewing.  I cut up the side seams.  Before I cut, I double checked where the centre shoulder was by trying it on over my head, and this corresponded with how it folded when lain flat.

 

I cut around, and sewed the side seams to underarm and inset the sleeve, and I added a pleat to the ‘cuff’.  All of the cut and the sew to this point took less than 30 minutes!  I tacked sleeve hems and sweater hems and pressed them, and finished by using the twin needle.

centre shoulder
cutting on fold
cutting sleeve

 

 

Love how it turned out.  Have yet to wear it layered with the floral blouse but know they will make a good match!

I have a few other makes half done, and in between I moved the site to wordpress (so the half makes are still half-made).  Really glad I did as I never got a proper working template with blogger.  My bloglovin profile was updated too, but I was unable to transfer the subscribers from feed-burner.  I don’t know how well the subscriber form works on WordPress yet, as one email worked on it but another didn’t….so if anyone cannot subscribe and would prefer email, just let me know!

 

 

 

Sweater Remake

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I got this sweater at the euro rail – its one of the few things I bought in a charity shop this year.  I am trying to get through what I have here – but I seem to make an exception for the euro rail – I often think these are the ‘no hope-ers’ and bound for landfill.  I love this colour, the fabric is cotton knit/ jersey.  The sweater colour is uneven due to wear and laundry, but to me this was part of the appeal as the colour now looked slightly textured,For the remake, I used the Astoria initially and also my own block.  It was all straight forward.  I added 5 inches to the length, and made the sleeves as long as I could.  I sewed it using the overcast stitch on the ‘new’ machine.  (so handy)

Cut out

 

Cutting Sleeve – I use bulldog clips to keep the two layers together, and it stops the fabric rolling back in.

I was unsure about the neck finish, and luckily I had some of the same shade in yarn, left
over from a previous project!  (its a colour I like).  I turned the edges and machine basted them, and blanket stitched them.  The trim is a mix of double and treble (uk) stitches.

Inside….

 

Outside…..

Love how it turned out -I cannot believe how quick and easy these types of sweater remakes are, (and the corresponding amount of sweaters on the men’s rail in charity shops).  I have a few more sweaters to remake soon, but I am hoping to try a few different finishes, like embroidered hems and embroidered embellishments….

 

Happy Christmas – with or without christmas jumper……

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The Christmas jumper just wasn’t going to happen – so I have decided to frog it.  Its a pity as the stitch finally worked out for a raglan, but its too bulky.  I may try the stitch again in the new year. 


 Meanwhile, I am thinking of making a swink , which has a knitted collar and cuff, and seeing as I just learned to knit a few weeks ago at the sew social.  My first knitting is below and the dropped stitches are where I was attempting purls…… and when I cast off I used a crochet hook.  Currently I am practicing some knitting before I start the sweater to make sure I can knit, as I am still unsure as what to do with dropped stitches and I certainly don’t understand the book instruction! The second swatch is my second practice.  Half way up, I decided to try seed stitch and I am not sure what I did wrong yet, but I had to unravel that row and start some plains and purls to get used to knitting and to be able to recognise the stitch (still all looking the same to me!)


I started on another up-sew, of an old cardigan.  Its a primark from some years ago, and I used wear it in the summer, its incredibly thin, and has limited life left in it but I really like the colour, and remaking will extend the wearing of it.   I have to stitch down the neckline, and fix the hem yet.  It will be a rather light sweater.  I had to make the front from three pieces as taking the pockets off made some holes, and the ribbed panel at the front of the cardigan became the centre back of the back and the side panel in the front!  I used a basic jersey block and left the sleeve seam intact and just reattached the sleeve at the armhole.

 



I did manage to get my cards made and printed in time for international post dates.  When I used make my own cards first, I used make a lino or etched plate and print on the press (one year I even printed wrapping paper!), but in the last few years, I found the best cards were also the quick doodles/sketches I did in my notebook and since then, I do a drawing, scan and print…………..

my favourite card done in the last few years is still this one….. (I  finished it in photoshop and I should have done it by hand) it reminds me of the ee cummings poem, I carry your heart in my heart








Merry Happy Christmas!

grey jumper #2

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wool sweater remake

I got a gorgeous grey merino men’s jumper a few weeks ago.  Its a large mans jumper, and a great shade of grey.  The crochet sweater I am making for my grey wrap skirt is still being hooked (I am on the fourth restart ….. this better be the last version), so I thought I would make something from this.

I had a few thoughts in my head,
– a wrap close cardigan with a length of satin ribbon as trim
– a cropped sweater, 3/4 sleeve with boat neck
– a regular cardigan

but decided on copying an item from my wardrobe.  I copied a pattern from a thrifted fine knit I got some years ago.  Its probably a ‘neither here nor there’ sweater, but its a good layering piece (its cashmere ), easy colour and gets worn quiet a bit.

sweater remake

I laid the sweater out, and traced, folding over the main sweater trace and cutting to make sure each side was even.  In the remake I had to do a few strips to make the sleeve width, but it was worth it as I was able to do a generous box pleat at the ‘cuff’ of sleeve (the pleats in the thrifted sweater are in different locations and are knitted into a cuff).  I would have liked (and am thinking of trying this pattern again) to give a bit more weight to the collar by doubling up the fabric (rather than using a strip of fabric and hemming it).

sweater remake

The sweater has a nice shape, its got a dropped shoulder, and some shaping at the waist – I kept the ribbed band in the cut for hem and its perfect.  I am glad I put the one large pleat in the sleeve as it gives a bit of ‘interest’ and the pleats in the original are a bit puffy.  The sweater is a quick sew, and works well with jeans and looks fine with skirt, and I am sure will work with the grey wool trousers if I get to remake them soon (or at least this year), and wears with the poncho too!.  photo below is a bit dull – but only one taken so far.