Wednesday, February 5, 2014

DIY: Overlay Lace Sweater



"NICE SWWWEATUURR!"
This is what my sister Kara always says when she likes your sweater.  It's kind of a family saying by now.

I have been in love with the lace overlay over-sized sweatshirts that everyone has been wearing this year.  I knew this would be easy to make once I got my hands on the right materials.  I have been dying to wear something other than the winter colors.  When I found this pink/coral sweater, I knew it was perfect :)

All you need to make this is:
-one slouchy comfy sweater (Mine is from Old Navy.)
-a yard of lace (mine is from JoAnn's)
-matching thread

Really, you don't need a tutorial for this.  All you do is cut out the lace to match the size of your sweater and sew it on.

Here are some tips along the way.

1. Use a paper bag to make a rough pattern for your lace.




2.  Use the pattern to cut out your lace.  I cut mine out bigger than the pattern just to make sure I had enough.

3. Now go around the seams of the sweater and cut away the extra lace.  Pin the edges of the lace to the seams on the sweater.  Also pin the middle of the lace down to the sweater too so it doesn't shift.  Don't be afraid to use tons of pins here, especially around the outside edges.



Keep snipping and pinning.  Pretty soon it will look like this:



4.  Time to sew it on!
Before you sew the outside edges, I recommend that you sew the lace down in a few places on the front of the sweater.  Not only will it keep it from moving while you are sewing the edges, it will help keep the lace from bunching away from the sweater when you are wearing it.  I chose about 20 random places on the sweater to make a few stitches between the lace and the sweater.  You won't even see these stitches.

Now use a zig zag stitch to sew the edges of the lace to the fabric.
Start by sewing the top down first.  Sew down one side and then the other.  Sew the bottom down last.  This will keep the lace even while you sew.

And tada! You're done!




Not only is it super comfy, but it's a great layering piece too! 


Happy crafting!

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