Means Tested... The Upcycled Cardie

As I hinted last week, I have some rather exciting news, I have been asked to become a Jane Means ribbon stylist!  I am so exciting, as I have always loved her ribbons... and I have a set of her Easter Egg decorations that I use to decorate my Easter Tree, so it is really great to work with somebody whose products I admire and would have used anyway.  Now, the great thing is that I am going to be sent a selection of ribbons to play with (you're just a bit green aren't you?) in return for a couple of tutorials using them on my blog... I cannot tell you how many ideas I have written in my notebooks.

Well, the ribbons have not arrived yet but I did happen to have a 3 metre roll of ribbon tucked away and a cardigan that needed a lift... so it was game on!  I don't know about you but sometimes I get bored with my clothes, hate to throw them away but just want something new, so here is a quick fix for a plain but useful cardie.

You will need:
A cardigan in need of rejuvenation
Ribbon - length will depend on the number of buttons... I had 9 x 5" = 40"
Needle and Thread... contrasting colours work well
Scissors
Matches and Tealight candle

Carefully snip off your first button and put it safely aside (if you place it on the arm of your sofa and it goes missing it will be down the side of the sofa and any loose change you find is mine... honest!).  Don't get ahead of yourself and snip them all off, the indentations from the button will act as your marker each time you sew the button back on.

I worked with small buttons, so decided that an inch showing under the button was well balanced and worked well, a bigger button may need wider ribbon and a longer length.  I cut two lengths of 2.5" and then sealed the end using the lighted tea light, if you are working with a lot of ribbons that need sealing to stop them from fraying, this is cheaper than lighting lots of matches to create a pile of kindling for a dolls house.  Hold the ribbon near the flame not in it, and you will see the ends melting.

Fold under 3/4" from each end and tuck it under, you won't need to use an iron as you can finger press it.  

The ends will overlap by 1/4", catch the loop together with a stitch, so up from the bottom and back down back up again.  

Take your other loop and place it on top of the first loop to form a cross, catch the top loop with another stitch.

Find the spot on the cardie where you removed the button, put the bow you have created on top of it.  Sew the bow onto the cardie, now sew the button on.  

If you have a two hole buttonhole button, sew it on so that the holes line up on the vertical, this will make your work look smarter... if you have four holes then do them in a cross to mirror the bow behind them.


I used a red and white ribbon and decided to add further interest by alternating with red and white thread.


Continue until you have replaced all the buttons.

And there you have it about 30 mins later, a one off piece that no-one else will have, with the little touch that lifts it above the rest... now go swank!


Isn't it amazing how something so simple can make such a big change?


Right, now it's time to go and take a look at what some of the other crafty bloggers have been up to on Handmade Monday... yes, I know that another evening gone surfing, but it is such good fun, isn't it?