Transform an ordinary sweatshirt into an extraordinary jacket. Add fringe, buttons and other decorative embellishments to make the jacket one of a kind.

SHOPPING LIST

• ready-made sweatshirt
• 1⁄2 yard of faux suede
• 1⁄2 yard of coordinating fabric
• tear-away stabilizer
• printable fusible web (See “Sources.”)
• thread: all-purpose, bobbin, embroidery
• optional embellishments: buttons, fringe, zipper
• appliqué embroidery design(s)

Cut

• Fold the sweatshirt in half lengthwise. Unfold and cut open the sweatshirt along the center-front foldline. Cut off the ribbing from the sweatshirt lower edge and cuffs.
• From the coordinating fabric, cut six 7"x10" rectangles for the appliqués. Make sure the rectangles are larger than the chosen embroidery design.

Embroider

• Open the chosen design on the machine’s screen. Copy the design five times, rotating the designs as desired. Print each design onto a sheet of printable fusible web (A). Cut out each design, leaving 1⁄4" around the design outer edges.

A Print design onto a printable fusible web sheet.

• Position one design over one appliqué rectangle wrong side. Fuse the design in place, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Cut out the design from the fabric along the design outer edges.
• Repeat to fuse and cut the remaining designs from the remaining appliqué rectangles.
• Peel back the paper from each design wrong side, exposing the adhesive (B). Position one appliqué approximately 11⁄2" from the jacket right side lower edge and 31⁄2" from the center-front left edge. Hoop the jacket and a piece of tear-away stabilizer and place the hoop on the machine. Embroider the design. Once the embroidery is complete, tear away the stabilizer.

B Peel back paper release exposing adhesive.

• Repeat to embroider the remaining designs 31⁄2" from the jacket center-front right edge, leaving at least 1" between each design.

Construct
Use 1⁄4" seam allowances unless otherwise noted.

• Try on the jacket. If the jacket is too large, adjust the side seams to the desired measurements.
• Measure the length of the jacket center-front opening. Add 1⁄2" to the measurement; record. From the faux suede, cut two strips 4" wide bythe recorded measurement.
• With the strip right side facing the jacket wrong side, align one strip long edge to one jacket centerfront long edge; stitch. Fold the strip to the jacket right side. Fold the strip long and short raw edges 1⁄4" to the wrong side; pin. Topstitch close to each folded edge. Finger-press the strip into place.
• Repeat to stitch the remaining strip to the opposite jacket center-front long edge.
• Measure the sleeve circumferences. Add 1⁄4" to the measurements; record. From the faux suede, cut two strips 6" wide by the recorded
  measurements.
• Fold each strip in half widthwise with right sides together; stitch the short edges to form cuffs. With the cuff right side facing the sleeve
  wrong side, match the cuff upper edge to the sleeve lower edge; stitch. Fold the cuff to the jacket right side.
• Repeat to stitch the remaining cuff to the opposite sleeve lower edge.
• Measure the jacket lower-edge perimeter. Add 1⁄2" to the measurement; record. From the faux suede, cut one strip 2" wide by
  the recorded measurement.
• Fold the strip in half lengthwise with wrong sides together; unfold. Align the strip foldline with the jacket lower edge; pin. Fold over each strip upper edge 1⁄4" to the wrong side; pin. Fold over each strip short edge 1⁄4" to the wrong side, aligning each short edge to nthe jacket side edges; pin. Topstitch each strip upper and short edge close to the fold.
• Stitch fringe to the designs and jacket collar, if desired. Stitch a button closure or insert a zipper along the jacket center-front opening, if desired.

DESIGNS

Flower: RNK Distributing, Jenny Haskins’ Floral Appliqué Magic, design # fm02, fm03, fm15 & fm16; (877) 331-0034, rnkdistributing.com

SOURCES

RNK Distributing provided Web Magic (printable fusible web sheets): (877) 331-0034, rnkdistributing.com.

Appeared in:

January/February 2010