Sweater makeover, easy ruffled vest tutorial

Sweater makeover, easy ruffled vest tutorial

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• 2.03.2010

Here's a tutorial on how to make over a boring or unflattering sweater into a cute, ruffly vest!

Sweater-into-Tie Vest Tutorial

I started out with an old sweater from Old Navy--it's a little too snug, too short, and sort of boring.

• I started by turning it from a pullover into an open-front.  Cut down the center.

• Next, I cut off the sleeves below the shoulder "seam"--this way the shoulder stays intact and won't ravel.

• Now, you have two sleeve pieces.  Cut them open down the long seams.

• Even the sleeve pieces out by trimming the wider part off in loooong, skinny triangles.  These two big rectangular sleeve pieces will turn into the ruffles around the collar.

• Cut the sleeve pieces into bias strips.

• Sew the bias strips together and press the seams flat.

It looked to me like I wouldn't have enough of the bias to make it ruffly all the way around the neck and collar, so I cut my bias piece longways in half.

• Next, you'll gather one side of the bias piece with a large stitch and tight tension.

• This next step is optional: for more interesting shape, I trimmed the bottom corners of the center front of the open vest.

• Back to the bias strips: pin the gathered bias cut ruffle onto the front of the vest and get ready to sew it down (wrong side to right side).

• Sew it down, going around the curve/angle of the collar.
• I wanted some ties, so I trimmed off the extra triangle from the other side of the long sleeve seams and sewed them down at the point in the front:

Here it is!