Tuesday, February 10, 2015

cutting a jumper down to size

I found a denim jumper on ebay for twelve dollars. But it was an extra-large, so I knew I'd have to make it fit. 


 A heavy weight, tank-top styled a-line with slits, and some buttons on the left side. Way too big and way too long.  And one of those funny little patch pockets right smack dab in the middle of the upper back. So, the first thing I did was remove the pocket, and take in the center back seam; probably an inch and a half, or two.  There was no seam in the front, and a cute array of daisy-like flowers all over it, but there was only way to take it in, so I cut it up the middle and sewed a five eighths inch seam there. I also topstitched in white on either side, just because I thought it would be a good thing to do.

That was enough to make it fit me, but I had to hem it. I hate hemming thick fabrics, so I cut five inches off the bottom and machine embroidered a design which I hoped would echo the flowers, and I happened to have some pale lavender thread to match the daisies, so -


It looks well, I think! It'll fray beneath it and have a pretty border.

I re-attached the little pocket, and discovered a slit right above it that my seam ripper must have made. My sewing machine doesn't do much embroidery, but there is a heart shape - I thought I could cover it up with that.  I sewed two white hearts right there,


but wouldn't you know, they ended up one on either side of the untouched tear. So I ended up just zigzagging over it with denim colored thread.

This project was a very simple fix, but I was emboldened to try it from seeing so many clever re-dos on Pinterest.  To not be deterred from buying something because it's the wrong size is taking a chance, but to be able to make do is too appealing to resist. Now I have a new jumper, and I like it!

3 comments:

  1. how fun! :) you did well with this! :)

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  2. Well done, it looks like something you will get a lot of wear out of and being denim, it will "go" with heaps of tops and tights. I love the feeling of confidence that such a project gives you, a real " I can do this" attitude for future sewing and altering.

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  3. Thank you, ladies! Margaret, you are entirely right!

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