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Don't Buy, DIY: Embellished Short-Sleeve Sweater
Okay, there's not much of a price difference there, but still...

Fa la la la la! I love the holidays!!

But one thing I don't love is all the correspondence it entails. Email just won't cut it at this time of year.

Sorry for the short absence from the WWW - just been overwhelmed with sending holiday packages, cards, New Year's greetings, baking Christmas cookies, and gift-shopping.

7 packages, 27 cards, 11 packages of cookies, 9 holiday letters with photos later...I always overachieve this time of year and end up dropping off the face of the planet for about a week. Plus, spending an hour and a half standing in line at the post office yesterday (in THREE separate lines - one for parking, one for the automatic postal machine, and one for the window) can put anyone into a bit of a bah humbug mood. Or make one go postal. Yuk yuk yuk. Can anyone relate?

But I love the holidays - all the festivities of, all the traditions - seriously, the most happy times growing up.

So anyway...
I wanted to share a DIY I finished a little while ago with all of you.

Perhaps you or your SO has a fuzzy gray sweater or fleece in need of a makeover?

Who says winter sweaters have to be long-sleeved? This one is super-cute with armwarmers, gloves, or another layer underneath for when the weather outside is frightful.

Scanned from Vivi December 2009 issue. What can I say - I love this magazine maybe a bit too much!:-)

So I figured, why not make this from an oversized sweater? (after the jump)

DIY: MEN'S SWEATER TO EMBELLISHED SHORT-SLEEVE TOP

Posted by carlyjcais from Portland, Oregon, United States • Published 22nd December 2009 • See carlyjcais's 60 projects »

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Alma added Embellished Short Sleeve Sweater to Recycling T-shirts 15 Jan 16:48
Alma commented on Embellished Short Sleeve Sweater 15 Jan 16:47
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Step 1
Cut off sleeves and trim neckline into a V-neck.
Step 2
Turn under sleeve cuffs and stitch raw edges down. (not pictured)
Step 3
To size the sweater smaller (if using a men's sweater), try on sweater and pinch extra fabric at back of neck until V-neck lays properly on your collarbone (i.e., not too wide). Have a friend stick a pin in the excess, take off the shirt, and turn inside-out.
Step 4
Pin in a line down the center back, all the way to the hem.
Step 5
Unpick the bottom hem of the shirt so you can flatten the line you pinned all the way down to the cut edge of the fabric. (Probably about 1" or so on either side of the line you pinned.)
Step 6
Sew CB line all the way to the cut edge. (not pictured)
Step 7
Turn hem under once more and re-stitch hemline. (not pictured)
Step 8
Cut off excess of CB seam. (not pictured - obviously, I got lazy here)
Step 9
Turn under seam allowance around neckline, and stitch down. (not pictured)
Step 10
Sew jewels around neckline.
Step 11
Done!
Step 12
I'm thinking about resetting the sleeves so the shoulder seam is shorter, which I think might make this less matronly and more like the original.
Step 13
But maybe I'll leave it as is!
Step 14
These little jewels were in a multisize pack of 25 for about $3.99 at Jo-Ann's.And the shirt was $6.99 at Goodwill. Super-warm!

Happy DIY'ing...and Happy Birthday to me! (It's today!) Not quite sure the appropriate emotional response...but hopefully I'm another year wiser! (Maybe to avoid the P.O. after December 15 next year?)

xoxox
Carly