Nice little stormcloud cardi

My husband has had this jumper for about ten years and hasn’t worn it at all for the last five years at least.  When I found it in our toss-out bag I knew straight away I couldn’t ever throw it out, because we bought it for him together when we were in Paris… ah, holiday memories.  I’m quite sentimental about stuff like that.  Admittedly it has expanded in size substantially over the years and flatters no one any more.  See the before photo below?  Hoo boy.  Enough said.  It’s also pilled and old, but the cloth is a fine woven cotton knit which is lovely and soft to wear and so worth keeping.  Time to get out the scissors...  Don’t worry, it’s not a designer item or anything…

I thought long and hard before embarking on this re-fashion.  I thought about re-sewing the seams so it would fit my husband again, but he was over it…   and I also fantasised about various exciting and asymmetrical avant-garde shapes before decided a nice ordinary little cardi in a classic shape would make me the happiest.  So.  I kept the sleeve and bottom rib edgings (although I’m already wondering whether it would be better with the sleeve ribs turned under and invisibly hemmed on the inside, what do you think?)

The shoulder seams were encased and reinforced with blue bias binding, and the neck edge with a small scrap of blue tape.  I knew those tiny scraps would come in handy some day…

I hand rolled and sewed the raw front edges and attached a medium sized hook and eye for closure.

What do you think?

Details:

Cardi; my own design, refashioned from my husband’s old cotton knit jumper

Jeans in both before and after photos; old corduroys from Just Jeans

Tops; both Metalicus

Scarf; Country Road