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Monday, August 15, 2011

DIY Cardigan Tutorial

For the last few weeks I have spent endless amounts of time customising cardigans by adding pearls, bows, buttons, ribbons, sequins and flowers. It is my latest interest, I enjoy designing the cardigans and I love the satisfaction of completing an item. It can be time consuming but I normally work on them in front of the television at night so that makes it fun and relaxing. I started this idea with my family and they helped me get started and come up with some ideas and now it has really taken off from there. As I have said before, I am often surprised by the extent to which the price of an item increases simply because it has some sparkle or detailing. I also noticed how simple it is to completely change the look of an item just sewing on some detailing or even changing the buttons. The first one I completed was my sequin cardigan which I posted here.

For this post I thought I would show you how I made this particular cardigan. It is very simple. I took some photos as I was sewing but please tell me if there is anything I should explain further.

What you will need:- a cardigan
- ribbon or trim (or whatever you would like to sew onto the cardigan). I bought 2 metres of this trim and I had a small amount left over at the end.
-buttons
-thread
-needle
-pins
-scissors
-sewing machine (not essential since you can hand sew everything if you would like although this would take much longer).

Step 1: place the trim on the cardigan, wherever you would like it to be stitched. For mine, I placed the trim down the front on both sides. Pin the trim into place making sure you use enough pins to keep it in position. Make sure you leave a couple of centimetres extra which hang off the buttom of the cardigan which you will later sew to the underside of the garment.
IMG_1354

Step 2: using the sewing machine, attach the trim to the cardigan. This is achieved by sewing straight lines down both edges of the trim in all areas where you have pinned the material. Take extra care to ensure that the cardigan remains flat at all times. (This has caused me major problems in the past where the material bunches and I had to spend ages unpicking my sewing).
IMG_1371

Step 3: If the sewing lines are not particularly close to the edges of the trim, hand stitch the edges in a few places. This can be achieved at largely spaced intervals. It is not essential since you have already machine sewn the trim to the cardigan but it makes the trim sit flatter against the material.
IMG_604

Step 4: fold over and hand sew any excess trim to the underside of the garment.
IMG_1368


Step 5
: remove the buttons
IMG_1357

Step 6: sew on new buttons which match the design of the cardigan... IMG_1361

... until all the buttons have been changed
IMG_1363

...and your cardigan is complete!

P1000315

P1000317

I would love to see pictures if anyone decides to try this or something similar. If you have any questions then ask me in the comments section or email me at tia_cherie@yahoo.com

33 comments:

Audrey Allure said...

Really cute; great DIY!

jess said...

Great look!

Helen said...

I really like the detail, it's really nice

Bonnie said...

I am so glad that you posted this DIY. I wish I had the skills to do this. But I don't. Because I suck.

http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88

Green Tea and Cupcakes said...

Gorgeous it makes such a difference.

Indy said...

Wow, I love it - so creative!

Jadore-Fashion said...

Really creative dear! Love it!

xoxo
Stella

Andreia said...

Amazing!! I must try it too!

makingfashionnotwar.blogspot.com

Josie said...

Great tutorial -- that's such a pretty trim!
xo Josie
www.winksmilestyle.com

yiqin; said...

amazing tutorial :)

Georgie said...

Oh this is so pretty! My sewing skills are so terrible I'm terrified of taking a needle to anything I own! x

Nnenna said...

This is a really great way to spruce up a cardigan and the end result is so pretty. Thanks for the tutorial! :)

star-crossed smile

Sophie in the Sticks said...

what a lovely DIY project. I am always fascinated by this type of thing but my skills at executing them are so poor! Now following you. I thought I was already but it seemed not x

Angela said...

That is just amazing.

Couture Carrie said...

Gorgeous DIY, darling!

xoxox,
CC

Aimeecakes said...

You're so clever!!! I love this!

Winnie said...

Oh that is a really great and simple little DIY! I'm looking forward to seeing this in future outfit posts too. Definitely inspired!

Name said...

i wish i had your talent and patience! if you make enough, you could probably sell these on etsy!

Sara SHOEmaker said...

aw what a cute project! cardis are great because they're like a blank canvas you can do anything with. good job! thanks for your comment.


The House of Shoes

Amber Lucas A Mused Blog said...

What a lovely tutorial Tia! I love it! So creative and perfect for upcoming fall (well, for this side of the hemisphere). Thank you for sharing this.

Amber
Ambersmouthwash

Selvaggia Capizzi said...

Great DIY!!!! You did a great job!
xx
http://dontcallmefashionblogger.blogspot.com/

Mikko Tyllinen said...

Beautiful! wonderful details!

Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird said...

I may ask my mom for help with a project like this. I unfortunately can't sew.

Rose said...

YOuve done a great job once again! I love my cardigans, i must have at least 20 lol.
Tis a shame you didnt have an engagement party. Im thinking its a good way for our parents to meet properly, would you believe weve been together almost 9 years and never had the sets of parents together! Im looking forward to it, its high tea style so im making decorations at the moment :)
Look forward to seeing your next cardigan makeover, I think you should make a pink one next ;)

ROse

Preity Lama Tamang said...

Amazing DIY!! totally love it. ThAnkx for ur lovely comment.
xx

Anonymous said...

love this! great diy!

Natasha said...

I really like this idea and I'll definitely try it out at some point. I've got two black cardigans that I've always wanted to add something to so I'll use this next time! And thanks for your lovely comment, I love nature and all it's variety. xxx

Bonnie said...

You are definitely the queen of the cardi. I really, really, really adore this.

http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88

Once Upon A Time... said...

that's so pretty!!!! i really suck at knitting, i never tried anything like this! so thanks for posting!

jos xx

Alina said...

Wow...this is great!Love it!

stylenuggets said...

What a fab transformation. The trick is to select a pretty trim and be good at sewing.

Claudia said...

that looks wonderful!

Emily, Resplendent Tranquility said...

Nice work, Imogen! This is really lovely. I love a good cardigan - plain & simple or fun & embellished, chances are it'll make my heart skip a beat ;)