It’s
simple! Remove the placket from a woven shirt. Cut open the front of a turtleneck. Stitch the button and buttonhole edges
to each side. Now your turtleneck
is redesigned into a fashionable button front cardigan.
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1. Cut button and buttonhole plackets off
a shirt leaving 1/2” of fabric for seam allowance. Finish the top of each placket with a narrow hem.
2. Cut
turtleneck open along center front.
3. You
will use a French seam to sew the plackets to the knit fabric. In a French
seam, the raw
edges of the fabric are fully enclosed for a neat finish. The seam is first
sewn with wrong sides together and a narrow 1/8” seam allowance. A second seam is sewn with right sides
together, enclosing the raw edges of the original seam allowances. So starting at the neck edge, pin
plackets to each shirt edge with WRONG sides together.
4. Now you
are ready to sew the plackets to the turtleneck. Since the turtleneck and the plackets are most likely not
the same length, you will need to be a little creative here in finishing the
edge at the bottom. A nice look
can be achieved in several ways:
You can cut and hem both fabrics to the same length. You can have the turtleneck bottom
extend below the placket for a different look, or even create a curved edge
with the turtleneck dipping lower across the back. This is where your
creativity will come in handy.
Tips and
Tricks
- The thrift shop is an ideal place to find the perfect placket.
- Take care not to stretch the knit as you attach the plackets.
- Position your stitching line so the finished result is neat and attractive along the edge of the placket.
- Remember to align the plackets so the buttons and buttonholes match.
- Based on the weight or thickness of the fabrics, you may need to make some adjustments at the neck edge. On this lime green example, I turned the tip of the ‘collar’ edge under a little and tacked it down for a more rolled collar look.
Variations
- Use a pullover sweatshirt instead of a turtleneck.
- Use the cuffs of the woven shirt to make pockets.
- Embellish the back of the shirt with an appliqué out of the extra fabric from the woven shirt.
- Use the woven fabric to make a ruffle or cuff on your jeans.
I love my
cute and cozy cardigan! U can do
this 2
