Can ya guess what single item of mine I used to create the four groovy kidlet threads pictured above?
Read on to find out…
…an old turtleneck sweater…go snag one of your own & let’s get started!
Begin by chopping out a square from the neckline…
zigzag all around the raw edge to prevent fraying…
and your munchkin has a comfy new neckwarmer that stays in place!
Next, slice off the sleeves at the shoulder following the curve of the seam…
pop one sleeve inside of the other (right sides facing & seams lined up)
zip over to your machine & stitch the V’s together
pull one sleeve out of the other et voila…instant pants! *even up the top if necessary
You could simply sew a casing around the top & insert some elastic for a waistband but I prefer to add a wide tube of soft jersey fabric, in this case a chopped off turtleneck, as it’s more comfy around my girlie’s tummy.
simply flip it down over the pants (right sides facing & raw edges lined up)
I always turn the waistband up & zigzag over-stitch the outside seam for extra strength
as I had previously chopped off half of the sweater sleeves for a different project I zigzagged twice around the raw edge at the bottom of the pants, stretching as I stitched to create a lovely lettuce hem.
Now that we have some cozy new pants, let’s move on to the funky tunic
turn the remainder of the sweater inside out, lay one of your tot’s dresses (or sleeveless shirt) on top of it & cut around to create the basic shape of the tunic (the bottom of the sweater will now be the hem of the tunic)
remove the dress & pin the front & back pieces together
hop over to your machine & sew the sides & shoulders together
zigzag twice around the arm holes & neckline to prevent fraying & embellish with whatever you have on hand – I stitched the chopped fringe from a scarf all around the neckline
gather the last 2 pieces of sweater…
lay one on top of the other right sides facing & cut out a beanie-ish shape, stitch together, zigzag the raw edge, embellish with some leftover bits and…
pop on the munchkin…hmmm…it’s a tad big…so
…now mommy has a weird uncommonly fancy new hat!
There you have it! 4 funtastic new items from 1 worn out sweater!


wow, awesome! it’s so fun to sew for little ‘uns… you can get so much out of so little fabric!
lisa
Great tutorial! Thanks, I learned how to sew very fast a pair of soft and comfortable leggings for my little girl! If you do not mind, I posted your tutorial on my blog “http://riusocreativo.blogspot.it” of course quoting your site and putting the link. See you,
Anna
Thanks so much Anna! I’d love to see your finished project!
Grazie Mille for the link on your lovely blog! =O)
Hey Awesome, look at this link:
http://riusocreativo.blogspot.it/2012/11/ci-ho-provato-anchio.html
Thank you very much!!!
Anna
Great job Anna! I’m so glad your daughter loves her fancy new “sleeve” pants! =O)