Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Autumn Sweater Wreath

How is it possible that it is already November ?  Its crazy how quickly this year has flown by. (It was crazier yesterday when I started this post) Next thing you know it will be New Years, and I just hung up an Autumn wreath on my front door yesterday!
Only, I cant figure out how I like it... and I really don't like it at all. I like the idea of it though. See, I had this sweater, which I wore every fall, that I absolutely loved. It got a hole in the armpit and I tried to fix it with my serger, which made it even worse and unwearable. It had been sitting in my craft closet for several years because I didn't want to throw it away. Then recently I saw where someone had taken a thrift store sweater and made a wreath out of it. I knew that would be the perfect thing for my beloved autumn sweater.  I took a straw wreath  and added a hanger to the back with floral wire.
I used an upholstery needle (curved like a "c") and twisted some floral wire into the eye. 
Then I chose a spot on the back, inserted the needle, which comes right back up to the back side, and twisted the ends of the wire together. I had to use pliers to pull the wire and needle through.
Then I pulled the wire so that the twisted together ends were inside the wreath. See?

I wanted the wreath form to have some bulk so I used straight pins and pinned on some batting all the way around the form.
Next I cut off the sleeves from my sweater and cut open the sleeve near the seam. This way I could wrap it around the wreath form and sew it back together on the back side of the wreath. I just pinned it in place first all the way around to keep it straight.  I used a whip stitch, but really you could just pin it well with pins and be done with it.
I just couldn't decide how to embellish it, and with the pattern it seemed too busy for anything, but too plain without something. I did take a bunch of old flowers and leaves I had and added a small bouquet to the middle and moved the bow. I think I like this better.
Hmmm. Maybe I should shorten the dangly bits of the bow. What do you think? Any other ideas?
I thought about some felt flowers, but the one I held up to it kind of disappeared against the pattern.
  I used the rest of the sweater and made a pillow from it. I save old ugly pillows for just such a purpose and so I just sewed up 3 sides and cut off the extra bits of sweater. Then I stuffed it with the old pillow and sewed up the side. The side seam ended up being the old, finished bottom edge of the sweater so I didn't bother tucking any raw edges under. Just sewed right across the seam. It would be cute, with some chunky, brown buttons but I didn't have any.

Awe. Now on to a new Christmas wreath. I probably should think about that before Christmas is over.


Linking to:

Todays Creative Blog

4 comments:

Unknown said...

OMG that is awesome! Love how you re proposed your armpit air condioning sweater. Don't you hate when you ruini stuff with the surger? I've done it before too. The pillow looks so cozy for fall and I love. love, love the wreath! I have a container of never worn sweaters I might have to use and copy your great idea.

ritajoy @harbourbreeze said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog today and letting me know about the dining chair swing. I love it! I'm just landing here at your blog now and I'm off to read some more of it. I sure do like what you're doing with your sweaters...That pillow is so cute! Great job.

Vicky @ Mess For Less said...

I love that you were able to save your sweater and get not one, but two great projects from it. They both look great! I am a new follower from Today's Creative Blog. Vicky from Mess For Less

averagemissy said...

I love it!

Post a Comment

I would SO love to hear from you!