Sweater to Cardigan DIY

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. Plus, when you order through my link, it helps me stumble along in this bloggy blog world! I appreciate your support! My husband who has to put up with my craft supply obsession does too :D All opinions expressed are my own, and I am not sponsored by any product manufacturer unless otherwise stated :)

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I have seen the sweater-to-cardi tutorial (in various forms) floating about on the interwebz, so I thought that I'd give it a try! (WARNING. ALL OF THESE PICTURES OF ME LOOK LIKE DEATH. Forget the 'warmed over'...just death o.O)

I picked up this too-big sweater from the thrift store today because I liked the print, I thought it was quite delightful!

1. I laid out mah sweater. On the ground, like the hipster craftswomen I think I am. 

2. Cut a straight line down the middle. Or up the middle. Whichever you prefers ;)

3. Bias tape. Get some of that stuff. 

4. Cut 2 pieces the same length as the front of your sweater, WITH EXTRA LEFT OVER. Maybe 2-3 extry inches or so. 

5. Lay your bias tape, right sides together with the front of your sweater, along your cut line. Sew along your bias tape edge. 

6. Then, flip over your tape to the WRONG side of the fabric, pin, and sew along the edge of your tape. Again :)

7. (optional) I hemmed the sleeves shorter, because I have persnickety wrists. I don't know...its just a thing with me...I know...its weird...ehhh.

8. (also optional, but totally more fun if you do it!) EMBELLISH THAT PUPPY. You can add buttons, pockets, lace for the collar, anything, really! Add some of your own personal pizzazz!

9. OHHH. AND. I took in the side seams a bit, because I like mine more fitted.

Here is mine. I think I will go back and add buttons later, but the main embellishing I did was make pockets out of the leftover material I cut from shortening the sleeves. NEVER THROW AWAY ANYTHING. YOU MIGHT NEED IT SOMEDAY.  Ahem. :D

This is really a great beginner project, I think! Just grab an old sweater and some bias tape, and you are basically home free! Its mainly hemming, and who doesn't LOVE to hem, right? Right...? RIGHHHTT?? Sorry. o.O

If you make one, I'd Love to see it!! Go! YOU! Go get a sweater, RIGHT NOW. You can do this!! DO IT!!!

Thanks so much you guys!!

Of Half-Birthdays and Such!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. Plus, when you order through my link, it helps me stumble along in this bloggy blog world! I appreciate your support! My husband who has to put up with my craft supply obsession does too :D All opinions expressed are my own, and I am not sponsored by any product manufacturer unless otherwise stated :)

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D'you know what I think this life needs more of? CELEBRATIONS. But not the usual, 'Oh yeah its your birthday, have a cake,' celebrations; the ones that everyone expects. Oh no. I'm talkin' the out of the blue, no one saw it coming, just because celebrations! THE BEST kind! 

So what kind, exactly, you ask? ANY KIND. You are only limited by your own imagination! My personal favorite, though, is the Half Birthday kind! Why? Because EVERYONE has a half-birthday, but hardly anyone knows, much less thinks about when theirs is! And everyone likes an excuse for a party, right??! IDO. 

I am posting this in honor of the single most beautiful and fan-flippin-tastic person I know; my best friend Rebecca :) 

She is, without a doubt, bar none, the most genuine, kind, lovely, and patient person I know. We met in high school and she has made my life so full and rich and laughter-y and wonderful. I know everyone says they know someone who is beautiful inside and out, but, cliche or no, this girl fits that description perfectly. I love her dearly, and she's that one person I absolutely LOVE surprising and doing random (if somewhat bizarre) things for, and, TODAY was her half-birthday! So I made her a half-birthday CAKE!

HAP BIRT!

I surprised her at her haircutting appointment because I am kinda pro at the creepy stalker thing ^.^ Anyway, it was really no more than an excuse to get to see her, but it was fun regardless. Do you have kids? I would be willing to bet all kinds of money that you would go down in history as 'Way Super Rad Cool Mom' if they got to go to school and tell their friends alllll about how THEIR mom let them celebrate not one, but TWO birthdays in a year!

You could even plan a party! 

-Ask all the guests to wear half one color and half another

-Only serve halves of food (half cupcakes, hotdogs, cups of juice, and so forth)

-Start on a half hour time!

-And etc and so forth!

Don't know your half birthday? I used this nifty tool to figure out Rebecca's...you just enter your birthday and it spits out your half one ;)

She's wonderful :)

Seriously, nothing can make someone's day (no matter how old or young!) like someone they know recognizing even the most seemingly inconsequential things about them and turning it into a big deal. Everyone is wonderful, and everyone deserves a little partyin' just 'cause now and then :)

-Jordan

I am IRON WOMAN!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. Plus, when you order through my link, it helps me stumble along in this bloggy blog world! I appreciate your support! My husband who has to put up with my craft supply obsession does too :D All opinions expressed are my own, and I am not sponsored by any product manufacturer unless otherwise stated :)

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Alright you guys. I'm coming clean.

I, Jordan, am a delightfully addicted comic book nerd.

We're not talking, 'Oh I like to watch Spiderman sometimes' nerd. Its more of a sitting-in-the-movie-theater-and-yelling-at-the-screen-when-they-leave-out-important-facets-of-random-superheroes-that-no-one-else-has-any-idea-about.

I love Marvel comics, and after X-Men, the Avengers are definitely my favorite. Sooo I decided to show my Tony Stark love at the premiere this Friday with my very own Iron Woman Tee! (Even though Ant-man and the Wasp didn't warrant an appearance in the movie, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE AVENGERS TOO)

BEHOLD.

I know what you are thinking. And YESITDOESLIGHTUP!!! What good is a non-lit Arc Reactor, I say!?

SORRY FOR THE POTATO QUALITY

POTATOOOO

I picked up a red and a yellow t shirt from Hobby Lobby today, and a four pack of those 'tap lights' that are battery powered and you can hang them up in closets and so forth. I sketched out several armor designs, as there are several different suit designs, and then just top stitched the details. TOP STITCHING JERSEY IS NOT NICE. NOT NICE AT ALL. 

These were a few of my sketchies in progressies. He has had SO MANY SUIT DESIGNS it was hard to pick just one! I finally settled on the last one, as it was just detailed enough to serve my purposes :)

And here is me with my brother!

I am actually pretty stoked about how it came out! I didn't think to use interfacing behind my stitching until halfway through, and the seams are kinda whack, but I am still excited about wearing it!!!

Thanks you guys!