How to Make a Sweatshirt Cardigan for Spring

As the last roars of winter fades and the spring rains and cool weather spills over the land, not only do the seasons begin to change, but also our wardrobe.

If your tired of wearing sweat shirts from last winter, but it's still chilly enough to warrant wearing one, then why not get one of those sweat shirts out of the closet and redesign it into a springtime cardigan?

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sweatshirt
• Fabric trim and embellishments
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine
• Matching Thread
• Imagination

1. 
    

   Determine the center of the front of sweatshirt. Cut up the center of the front layer and cut off the top and bottom ribbing around neck and waist.

2. Pull out some spring time coordinating fabrics. Cut four lengths of fabric and stitch together to make one long piece. You want them to be about 2" wide.
   
   You can determine how much length you need by measuring it around the neck, down the center, and around the waist of your cut sweatshirt.

3. 
    

   Lay out the length of fabric with the wrong side facing up. Fold in either a half inch or 1" towards the middle on both sides and pin in place.
   
   Using a hot iron, iron down the folded pieces to keep them flat and remove pins. This will be your trim.

4. 
    

   Start in the middle of the neck and fold length of fabric around the edges of the sweatshirt. Place trim around neck, down one side of middle, around waist, back up the other side of the middle cut, and connect at the middle of neck. Pin your fabric trim in place as you go leaving a inch over lay at the back of neck.
   
   Then stitch into place using your sewing machine and matching thread.

5. 
    

   Using scrap pieces of material you can cut shapes or form pockets on the front panels of your sweatshirt cardigan. Add silk flowers, ribbon, rick rack, or other embellishments to your design.

6. Put it on and show off your new spring time cardigan to all your friends. They won't believe it was the old sweatshirt you wore all winter long.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a sweatshirt that is at least one size larger than your shirt size.
• When pinning fabric trim around edges of sweatshirt, make sure front and back portions are even for stitching. Otherwise you will stitch one side and not the other.
• Use Velcro, sew on snaps, or ribbon at neck for closure if desired.
• Great for kids' sweat shirts as well as adults.
• You may need to invite your friends over and do this project together as a ladies' night out.

Resources

• eHow Spring Guide

[mrschadt]

on 4/23/2009 Thanks TeacherKelly for pointing that out, your right, your not cutting out 4 inch pieces. You are cutting our 4 lengths of fabric - one for the neck, both sides of the middle openings, and one for around the bottom). I've corrected the article in hopes to make the directions more clear.I made this cardigan for my daughter and she wears it to school. We used a eye hook closure at the neck.

[TeacherKelly]

on 4/22/2009 Nice project idea. Thanks for the pictures. I don't understand step 2 though. How many 4 inch lengths of fabric am I cutting, and why am I sewing them together to make one long piece? Why not just cut a longer length?

[jenng]

on 4/7/2009 Great article 5*