Make This: Embroidered Fair Isle Sweater DIY

This contributor post was written by Michael Ann of Michael Ann Made. This is Michael Ann’s first contributor post on papernstitch. She’ll be here every month to share a new diy project with you. Take it away Michael Ann…

Hello papernstitch readers!
I am so excited to be a contributor on papernstitch and can’t wait to share a fun DIY project with you every month!

This month I thought it would be fun to share a little fall fashion DIY – embroidering a plain old sweater with a bold fair isle print. This is a great project for a rainy evening, and is simple enough for even the most timid seamstresses.

Here are the materials you’ll need:

1. A sweater! I found this one for free in our laundry room free pile… Score.

2. Embroidery thread of whatever fun color you desire!

3. Embroidery hoop, needle, scissors, pencil for tracing the pattern.

4. A pattern. You can use the one I made by just saving and printing the photo below…

Here’s how you make it:

1. Trace your pattern onto your sweater. I used the old “window as a lightbox” technique, pinning the pattern to the backside of the sweater, holding the sweater up against the window during the day, and making a small dot with the pencil for every dot on the pattern.

2. Set up your embroidery hoop and start stitching! I stitched little V’s for every dot to mimic the look of a knitted sweater. Using little X’s for a cross stitch look could also be cute.

Once you stitch everything in the area, take off your hoop and move it around, stitching until you complete your design.

3. Step back and admire your work!

I love embroidering because it is such a simple way to really transform an item! This plain little sweater is now prepared for all the fun of fall.

Happy Stitching!

Michael Ann is a sewer, knitter, crafter, thrifter, living a crafty life with her husband in Portland, Oregon. You can find her at her blog Michael Ann Made where she shares projects, tutorials, and bits of inspiration to help you live a crafty life too. You can also follow her adventures on twitter.

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