'MakeOver Monday' - Cutting up Cardys.

'MakeOver Monday' 
... sharing how I cut up & REmake items from my wardrobe 
in the hope you'll pick up scissors & start cutting up yours!

I collect cardys

they're top of my list of favourite things to wear

I've been known to design a frock around how best it will suit a cardigan  

and likewise if a frock needs a cardy then I'll REfashion one.

Knitwear features heavily as one of my favourite things to cut up

I love it so much I wrote  

'How to Cut the Buttons Off Your Cardy'

explaining how I do it 

which has turned out to be my most most popular post

[read over 15000x!] 

so I figure I'm not the only one who likes the idea 

I've a few pink cardys in the collection however not all are in my wardrobe

most are filed waiting for their opportunity to shine

as was the case with this

vintage buttery soft lambswool/angora cardy

I knew when I spied her across a crowded oppy that she'd be too small for me

and that I'd never wear her with that ribbing

the missing button wasn't an issue

and to be honest I think the nibbled bits happened after I brought her home 

all attributes which combined to make her the perfect REfashioning volunteer.

Before I could take the scissors to anything 

I needed to find another knit to be part of the experience 

because in order to make this work I needed  to make her bigger 
which meant more fabric was needed.

I came up with two options in the end

a pretty-girly-lacey-floraly concoction

which I'd have never worn 

or a contrasting-chunky-throw-on-&-wear-anywhere version

which won

the red knit was from a REinvent I did a while back

using a friends cast-off knitwear 

to create this sleeveless pull over vesty thing

which I adored 

not just because it fitted & looked good 

but because the red knit is so soft & luxurious... 

like wearing a marshmallow.

***

The first to go was the ribbing 

which immediately released & relaxed the rest of the garment

then the back was separated from the fronts & sleeves

and used as a template to cut into the 'marshmallow' knit

allowing for a generous amount of extra width

which in turn meant the sleeves needed to be wider

after much disappointment [again!] with the new fabric marking pencil 

I opted for the tried, true & trusty salvaged soap shard

and cutting lines for the sleeve inserts were marked on the pink cardy back

 it was about now that the Walking Foot came out of its box

because once you've sewn knits with one

you'll never go back

just like having an Overlocker with Differential Feed

makes all the difference

having said that 

you don't have to have either in order to sew knitwear

I never did for many years and was very happy with the outcomes

only now I'm happier

here's an example of what the overlocked sleeve insert looked like after I overlocked without dialing in the Differential Feed settings
even with the utmost care & attention to not stretching as it feeds through

 it ended up stretched & wiggley

and that's when a good steamy iron comes into its own

by hovering the steaming iron over the stretched seams 

[without touching]

you can pat the seams flat, holding until cool

and back in shape

then if you like, press the seam flat

to set the stitches.

It wouldn't be a REinvent or REfashion if there wasn't the need to unpick something

however it is rare that you'll need to unpick something more than once

unless you're like me & take three attempts to finally wrap your head around 

 mirroring the bias binding used as facings on the front bands 

…aahhhh!

 it then took for ages to come up with the best way to attach the bands to the front

 have I ever mentioned how much I love bias binding

picking out buttons

and hand stitching

however  when it came to darting the front 

so that it sat flat and didn't stick out 

hand stitched darts weren't going to work

nearly as well as machined ones

but back to bias binding

and never throwing anything away

bias finished off the 3/4 length sleeve hems beautifully

and the ribbing made for a perfect collar around the back neck

which in the end meant the back blended perfectly

with the sides

and the front

 I'd also like to think she suits the new hairdo

  

  and works well with my Pebbles

which brings me to next weeks MM offering...

I've an idea ticking away in my head that involves the Pebbles

which I'd like to get out of my head 

and around my neck

so unless you can read my mind

 I've nothing to show you at the moment for next week.

 My apologies for this weeks MakeOver Monday turning up on a Tuesday 

I'm going to blame the delay 

on another Public Holiday appearing from nowhere and my need to spend time with the teen,

a dog requiring a Vet visit

and who'd have thought organising a vintage fabric sale on Instagram would be so time consuming

- there's another one is happening tomorrow!