Super-Bowl-super DIY varsity sweater refashion! Tutorial

Super-Bowl-super DIY varsity sweater refashion! Tutorial

• 2.01.2011

While I've been unpacking and organizing the new place, our star guest blogger Jessi has been sewing away!  Here's a cool project she did in anticipation of this weekend's Super Bowl!!!

Every year when the Super Bowl rolls around my grandparents like to remind me of this one time when the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl in 1985. 1985! If you're not from Chicago, you probably won't remember because it was ages ago, but the Chicago Bears put on this little number called The Super Bowl Shuffle. I apparently knew the words and danced along, as much as a three-year-old could.

Since I'm all about rooting for my home team (and had no use for a bright orange sweater that has been in my closest since 2003) I've done this Chicago Bears Varsity Sweater refashion!

I'm not much of a sports fan, but I really do love this sweater!




Being a cable knit, it was really easy to cut up the middle. I over layed another sweater I had that had a neckline similar to what I was going for. I cut some wide bias strips out of navy flannel and sew them all around the new raw edge. I measured my buttons at equal distances, about 3" spacings.



For the stripes on the sleeve, I took left over bias tape and just sewed it together. I then tried the sweater on and wrapped the tape around my arm to make sure the placement was correct before hand sewing it in place.



I thought this sweater refashion would be a great time to finally put that punch needle to work. I've lost the threading wire since I bought this thing nearly three years ago. No worries, I used some sewing thread to catch the embroidery floss.



I pulled the two strands of embroidery thread through the main tube of the punch needle. Then, I took the sewing thread and put it through the eye of the punch needle. Being gentle, I pulled the embroidery floss through.





After the top was screwed on to my desired length, I drew my design on the fabric. You'll want to draw it in a mirrored image as the side you are working from will be the back. Punch the needle up and down through the hoop, making sure the tool is straight up and down. After the image was complete, I carefully cut around it and sewed it onto the sweater!

Thanks, Jessi!  Readers, you can check out more Adventures with Sweetie Pie Bakery or visit Jessi's blog for more!