recycled sweater applique tutorial

i find all different kinds of sweaters at local thrift stores
but i've found the best ones in Michigan.
each sweater speaks to me.
different languages for different colors, materials, styles.

today it is the purple angora lambswool gap sweater i found at the VOA in Lansing. [best thrift store ever]

a few years ago i found a few yards of this beautiful printed chiffon at a fabric store. the entire bolt was on sale for incredibly cheap, so i bought the entire thing, which turned out to be about 2 yards. it's been sitting in my fabric bin, and i have found the perfect thing to do with it.

applique to purple sweater. here is my process.

after cutting the parts of the pattern that i want to applique to sweater, i pin it and baste it before sewing with the machine. basting is very important, as it makes it easier to sew with the machine, keeping the fabric from moving and shifting.

basting is simply sewing the fabric by hand very loosely to the garment, temporarily of course. you can also baste with the sewing machine, if you want to save a bit of time. setting the stitches as far apart as possible. i personally prefer to baste by hand, i find the stitches easier to take out afterwards.

materials for pinning and basting. cheap cheap white thread [or another contrasting color for visibility purposes], pins, small baby scissors.

after basting, you're ready to use the sewing machine! choose your thread. i chose brown so that it would blend in with the chiffon, but it's always fun to use a nice bright contrasting thread!

how you sew the piece to the garment is completely up to you. i chose to follow the pattern as closely as possible. because this is such an interesting print, i want to go back and outline it with hand-embroidery. chiffon comes apart very easily, so the stitches are very close together. i like the straight stitch, but the jagged stitch is also very effective, if you want that look.

be sure to secure the thread on the inside of the sweater, after sewing with machine. if you went back over your stitches, then you can simply cut the thread. otherwise you can bring the thread in front to the back using a seam-ripper. tie them in a knot to secure.

after sewing the fabric on with the machine, you can cut out the basting stitches. using a seam-ripper or small scissors. i prefer small scissors, especially when you have delicate fabric like chiffon. cut in increments. less pulling and tugging.

i cut the fabric around the stitching, for a nice clean finished look. please be careful when doing this. i like to use my little baby scissors [very sharp and precise], helps me have more control, so i don't accidentally cut the stitches or sweater. big clunky scissors = big no no.

i hold the fabric that i'm cutting. makes it very easy.

finished product! i'll be adding a bit more to this sweater, so stay tuned for updates!

any questions?