diy: scarf-panel sweater

Here's the paneled sweater project I promised in my last post.  I feel like I'm always spewing some variant of "Omg guys, this project could not be simpler!!!" but really, it's true.

These days, I'm trying to focus more than ever on quality - not just when vetting new wardrobe additions, but also when making/updating garments myself.  I'm not interested in adding any poorly-constructed items to my closet, whether they were made by me or someone else - if something is crappy, I'm going to feel cheap and far from chic when wearing it.  So I'm devoting a little extra time and attention to my workmanship (e.g., slowing down while sewing, undoing mistakes and starting over when needed), rather than racing through projects and checking them off the list, as I tend to do.  This project certainly didn't turn out perfectly, but the result is vastly better than it would have been if I'd let my manic-DIYer self take over.

Process pics and steps after the jump...

Materials:

- Cardigan

- Fabric or scarf big enough to cover both front panels of the cardigan

- Pins

- Scissors

- Iron

- Sewing machine or needle/thread

1. Iron both the sweater and fabric.  Lay your fabric over one panel of the sweater and cut generously around the contours.  Give yourself as much extra fabric as you can afford while leaving yourself enough to cover the other panel in the same manner.  

If you can, cut the fabric on the bias, which will help with the folding and will allow the fabric to hang nicely.  The scarf I used was to small for me to do this, but all turned out OK.

2. Starting at the bottom edge of the fabric next to the button band, fold the fabric under.  Working in small increments, press the fold with the iron to get it nice and crisp, making sure that the fold is right next to the button band.  Pin the fabric in place as you go, all the way up to the shoulder.  

Repeat folding, pressing, and pinning along the side seam of the sweater, then along the shoulder seam.  Smooth the fabric out as you go to ensure that it lays nice and flat.  When in doubt, fold the fabric so it covers the seams with a little extra allowance - you don't want these seams to show in the final product.

I chose to fold the bottom edge of the fabric to the inside of the sweater and then hand-stitch it in place (pic 4 above), but you can also fold/press/pin this edge in the same way you did the others.  

3. Now that your fabric is in place, sew it down, stitching as close as possible to the edge.  Again, smooth out the fabric as you finish stitching each edge and adjust as needed.  

Donezo!  I'm thinking of doing a cropped, leather-paneled version with another of my moth-eaten cardigans...