DIY Colorblock Maxi Cardigan Sweater Refashion

If this maxi cardigan doesn’t scream Spring, then I don’t know what will. I’ve been hanging on to these secondhand cardigans even though they barely saw the light of day. I loved the colors but wasn’t too fond of the three-quarter sleeves.

With that in mind, I felt confident taking on another sweater project after my last tutorial. But no lie, I hesitated at the thought of butchering not just one, but three sweaters! Eek! But I just couldn’t shake the upcycle idea I had in mind and before I knew it, I had cut one in half.

Here’s what I did

1. First, was deciding what order I wanted the colors. The grey I placed on top because it was a size small and the others were mediums. I started by buttoning it up and laying it out nice and flat. I didn’t want to include the pockets, so I removed the lower section from the pockets down.
2. For the other two sweaters, I also buttoned and laid them out. Before cutting, I used a ruler and made a line across the front, 2 inches above the top button.
3. After they were cut, I then removed the trim from the bottom of the pink block, leaving a 1/2 inch for allowance. *Since the pink was going in the center, the trim wasn’t needed.
4. Once that was done, I carefully removed all the pockets with my seam ripper. *They were no longer functional and added bulk.
5. Next, was sewing the blocks together. I started with the grey and pink, matching and pinning the side seams together first. *I used matching threads for each layer (personal preference). Using a ballpoint needle and straight stitch, I held the fabric firmly while sewing, allowing it to stretch as I went along. I did the same for the other block, before trimming and pressing the seams.
6. Once the color block was complete, I removed the sleeves (pink and orange) from the scraps. I laid them inside-out with the grey and overlapped them, leaving the pink and orange layers 4 inches in length. Using the grey cuff as a guide, I made a line along the seams, adding 1 inch for allowance.
7. Afterwards, I took in each of the sleeves/cuff by stitching along the lines and stopping at the 5 inch mark. I then cut away the excess.
8. Next, I placed the orange cuff inside the pink, then pulled it onto my machine with the extension table removed. I then measure 4 inches as I sewed, stretching and following the bottom stripe on the cuff.
9. The same was done for the grey cuff. Except, I had to roll up the orange cuff before sewing, to get a more accurate measurement. Lastly, I trimmed the allowances approx. 1/4 inch and pressed. *The fabric doesn’t fray so there was no need to serge the raw edges.

My only regret with this project was not using a zigzag stitch to join the panels. I mean, it turned out great with the straight stitch but I felt the finish would’ve probably been a little better.

I was so eager to see the finished product, that the thought never crossed my mind. That, and me being soo accustomed to using a straight stitch for everything! I sometimes forget my machine has other functions sigh* Oh well, you live and you learn right!

Anyways, not sure if you peeped the matching socks but, you guessed it! They were also DIYed, following this tutorial. I made it my own and added the ribbing.

Thoughts? Drop a comment and lemmi know what you think!