Tutorial 13 - Upstyle Cardigan with Silk Frill Peplum

Tutorial 13

Upstyle Cardigan with Silk Frill Peplum

This Upstyle project is really versatile.

Here I used a scarf for the frill peplum but it can be any fabric.

Using a plain silk the same colour as the cardigan can give a more subtle look. 

You will need a classic cardigan this one is from UNI QLO was £15 and I used a scarf (34ins square) which was £5 from Portobello Market.

1.  Keeping the buttons and button holes, cut 6ins up along centre front leaving 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Then cut along until you have cut a section out that is 6ins wide. Keep this as ribbing is very useful for loads of other tutorials.

Find the centre front by folding the cardigan in half and making a little nip in the fold. When you open it out it should look like this.

2.   Get the scarf and cut 2 strips 7ins each (this allows for extra seam allowance)

Put them right sides together and seam one seam

Then press open

 Gather using largest straight stitch on your sewing machine and pulling a bottom thread till it roughly looks like it will fit the space in the cardigan

3.   Make 2 more notches equidistant apart from centre back notch.

Fold where the 1st notch is and make a dart by sewing at an angle from the edge coming in about 4ins long. Click on above picture to make larger.

Then do the same on the other side, press with a steam iron and it should look like this.

4.  Now, put the cardigan on the ironing board and get a long piece of Bond a Web cut to 1-2mm wide, position it just on the edge of where you're going to add the gathered frill.

Place the frill, right sides together, onto the Bond a Web, (as seen in picture) starting 1 inch in, for seam allowance. And begin working your way along pressing into place as you go and adjusting the gathering to fit as you go.

Remember to leave the same seam allowance 1inch at the end.

When you are happy that it is glued in the right place, you can begin sewing.

Start 1/2 inch before, where my finger is in the picture.

Then do a little diagonal snip from the edge to the beginning of the stitch line.

Do the same on the other side. This is done to allow movement in the fabric so that you can turn the frill fabric and stitch down the centre front.

Just like this.

You may need to ease the knitted cardigan fabric to fit as you go, this can then be pressed out.

Press back and zig zag all the edges.

I usually give a little snip to mitre the seams where they meet the hem before I zig zag.

Close up of pressed front

Should look something like this when laid out.

Once you have mastered this this possibilities are endless, that space that you cut out of the cardigan can be filled with anything.

Chiffon, lace, silk, rough linen it's up to you, make your own unique version

I even had a little bit left to make a neck scarf.

Tutorial 12a - Part 1 Sleeveless Cardigan with Draped Sides

Tutorial 12a

Sleeveless Cardigan

with Draped sides

Part 1



AFTER



BEFORE

You'll need 2 large mens cardigans.

I bought mine from UNI QLO and they were reduced to £9.00 each.

1.  Take one of the cardigans and carefully cut along the line of the side seam, stopping half an inch before the end.

Measure the length of that (mine is 17inches)

2.  Then using that measurement, cut across under the arms as in picture above.

Undo the buttons and lay out flat. Cut along the side seams. 

And cut up the centre back so you end up with 2 pieces.

3.  Then, taking one of the centre back pieces, lay on an ironing board and with it right sides up, lay a thin 1mm strip of Bond a Web.

Get a strip of satin or velvet ribbon and lay on top just covering Bond a Web, don't start with the end of ribbon in line with the hem of the cardigan, allow about half an inch in. Then press with a steam iron. 

Stitch along the edge with a straight stitch.

Fold back the ribbon against the wrong side and put a thin strip of Bond a Web along edge.

Fold back the extra half inch of ribbon and remember to put a bit of Bond a Web in here. (See Picture above) and press with an iron.

Stitch along the edge with a straight stitch.

With right sides together and ribbed hems in line stitch along seam opposite the ribbed hem.

Starting from the edge where the ribbon or buttons are. Zig Zag raw edges. 

So when you press the seam it should look like above picture when opened out.

4.  Now, you have to fit that rectangle into this section.

With right sides together, line up the centre seam of the rectangle with the under arm seam on the cardigan and start sewing from here down to the ribbed hem, keeping an eye on whether the hems line up. If not you can always stretch a little as you go.

When you've finished one side starting again from under the arm, sew down to the hem. Zig Zag raw edges.

Once pressed should look like above picture.

Then repeat onto the other side.

Now you have finished stage one of this Tutorial.

This method of applying a section into the side seam to create draped sides can be used on T-shirts, Vest Tops, Jumpers..... just use your imagination.

I'll be showing you Part 2  in Tutorial 13 where we learn how to create deep sleeveless armholes with wide ribbing around the edge.

Tutorial 9 - Upstyle, Sew Puffed Frill onto Back of Cardigan

Tutorial 9

Sew Puffed Frill onto Back of Cardigan

 I'll show you how to create this amazing puffed frill onto the back of a cardigan.
Click on images to make bigger.

 I used a regular cardigan from UNI QLO that I bought in the sale for just £9.00

But you can 'Upstyle' any old cardigan that you no longer wear.

 1.    Cut 8ins up the side seams or to where you want the Puffed Frill to stop.

 Allowing half an inch for the seam allowance, cut straight across back.

 2.  Do notches for the darts. I did mine 3inches from side seam, 1inch apart.

 Fold fabric so notches line up and keeping it straight stitch a line from the edge at an angle to the fold, about 4inches as seen in photo.

 Should look like this. Press darts towards side seams.

3.   Get the piece you cut out the back, and cut off the ribbing allowing 1/2 inch seam allowance.

 Put right sides together onto cardigan and sew along edge of ribbing.

 Then once you have pressed it it should look like this.

In another tutorial I will show how you can get this effect with a cardigan, long at front and short at back. You can't do it with this one, as you need to start it differently.

 4.  Fold over some silk, 2 - 3 times the width of the back of the cardigan. (ie. going across back of the waist of cardigan in Fig 1)  Mine was 12inches wide, so I cut my strip of fabric 36inches long.

Then whatever the length was in Fig 1 (mine was 8inches) add 1inch for seam allowance, so I cut it 9inches from the fold.

 So as to keep the ends tidy, put right sides together and stitch ends.

Then turn right way round and press flat.

 5. Then you need to gather this.

Using the biggest stitch on your sewing machine, stitch a straight line along the edge, not the fold.

Don't begin and end with going back and forwards as you need to pull the threads to gather.

Just pull bottom thread to gather fabric and gently ease along till it roughly fits the back of the waist.

Once you are happy with the size, put right sides together and stitch along the same line as when you attached ribbing.

 It should look like this.

6.   Now you need to stitch up side seams, make sure you catch the ribbing in as you sew and check as you sew that the cardigan and the silk finish the same length.

I often hold things together with 'Bond- a -Web' 1st, but you must cut it to only 1mm so it's not too thick and press into place. 

 Never underestimate pressing.

You need to stretch the ribbing as you press the back waist.

Also you must stretch out the ribbing along the hem at the front, gradually stretching up to waist. This is so the cardigan does not pull.

This really does create a glamorous look to a plain cardigan.