September Craft 3 of 3!

It's always cold in my Sunday school class.  When the weather outside is nice, people always want the air conditioning on in the classroom and some of us get a bit chilled, and while I own numerous hoodies, I don't have many sweaters.  I could have purchased one, but where is the craftiness in that?  So, after checking out some blogs on upcycling tired clothing.......behold:

Right out of the shoot, I cheated.  I didn't  previously own this long sleeved tee, I bought it at a thrift store.  That's right!  I bought it for.......wait for it.......$1.00.  I wear a lot of solid colors so a striped shirt was the perfect accessory.

I laid the shirt out flat, and measured to find the center of the neckline.

Then I cut the neckline all the way to the bottom hem.

A V-neck shirt would have been much easier to work with, but I didn't realize that until AFTER I had purchased this and began cutting it.  So instead of sewing some simple bias tape down the front of the shirt, I had to deal with the neckline as well.  I could have left it as a scoop neck, but trust me, it looked ridiculous.  The V-neck updates it and makes it much more wearable.

After cutting the front and shaping the neckline into a V, I pinned the matching cream bias tape into place........

......and stitched it around the neckline.

I then aligned the bias tape to the front of the shirt and stitched from the neck to the bottom hem.

To keep the sweater closed I sewed some velcro onto each side and attached a button so it looked more finished.

 

And here's the completed project.  It didn't take very long and I think it will be pretty cute with a coordinating short sleeved top underneath.  In true Pacific Northwest fashion, layering is essential.  That way I can stay warm in 'the freezer', but remove the sweater to be comfortable during worship service - where it's a normal temperature :)