merrily we sew along: cowl neck duffle

for the second episode of merrily we sew along, we have a stylish and functional improv garment: the cowl neck duffle. (note: you can find this project on page 72 of improv sewing.)

i lost my mind a little over this project, i must first admit. i decided it was the perfect opportunity for a refashion! i was so excited that i started with a trip to the thrift store with miss B. (can you believe that B insisted she wanted black? i was able to convince her to compromise with black stripes... is four too early for a goth phase?) sadly, the thrift store was a complete bust, and we ended up at some crappy discount place where we scoured the clearance racks to bring home two XXL men's waffle weave knit shirts, one striped and one gray.

cowl neck duffle one: floral sweatshirt refashion for K

we found a floral hoodie in my "to refashion" bin that was the perfect start for K's new sweatshirt. in order to preserve the gathered sleeves and gathered section on the back, i just cut along the seams to remove the front of the sweatshirt and the hood. i traced the front pieces of the original hoodie for the new piece out of the gray men's shirt we picked up at the discount store and then carefully stitched in the new front at the shoulders and then along the armholes, leaving the the side seam unsewn.

with the sweatshirt inside out, i marked how much smaller i needed to make the arms, trimmed to allow for seam allowance, and stitched the arms and sides in one seam. to shorten the arms, i cut out the excess fabric and reattached the original cuffs. i folded a 4" strip cut from the gray shirt and stitched it along the bottom of the shirt. by cutting a piece from of the gray shirt for the cowl, i was able to use the original shirt hem for the edge of the cowl.

and we have one very happy customer! side-note: someone lock this one in her room for the next decade, mmkay? i'm in trouble...

cowl neck duffle two: stripey penguin refashion for B

i started with a long-sleeved t-shirt that fit well, cut the front and back out of the XXL striped shirt lined up with the original hem at the bottom, and then widened the neckline a bit. i cut the arms out of the striped shirt's original arms and preserved the cuffs.

then i let B loose in my "to refashion" bin, and she latched on to her favorite shirt from last winter... long-sleeved, striped, and with a penguin. so there went the pocket, and mr. penguin was saved. now i'm thinking that maybe he'll need to get a new shirt every year? she decided on pink for her cowl neck, so i used pink thread (from my aurifil 28 wt simply color stash... that's right, i broke out the good stuff) to stitch on mr. penguin. 

so, yes, B is very happy with her new sweatshirt. but more than that, i am one lucky mama... just look at this girlie! for that face, i'd make her a new one every day. 

are you inspired to stitch up your own cowl neck duffle?? we would love for you to sew along with us (merrily, even).

but before you start stitching, a bit more inspiration to share. i'm excited to announce that this month's fabulous guest poster in our merrily we sew along series is...

Venus of Suburbia Soup!

... you should definitely check out Venus's awesome project as well as those that my lovely co-hosts have made here: casa crafty and Our Improv Diary

so, stitch up yourself a cowl neck duffle and share a picture in the merrily we sew along flickr group for a chance to win a super fabulous prize!!

speaking of prizes, episode two: cowl neck duffle is sponsored by the very lovely Figgy's, Sew Well Maide, and Fabric Tree!

the winner of the merrily we sew along episode two challenge will receive two pdf patterns from Figgy's, an amazing handmade gift from Sew Well Maide, and a half-yard bundle (2.5 yards total) of Santa's Workshop from Fabric Tree. how great is that??

so get improv-ing... i can't wait to see what you stitch up! just upload a picture of your cowl neck duffle to the merrily we sew along flickr group by december 24 to be entered to win!!

good luck and happy stitching :)