The Sweater Project...

After visiting Anthropologie a few times in the past (and on the Internets) and trying on their clothes and working with clothes every day, I am starting to wonder why I have so many things hanging around in my personal wardrobe. I'm finding that a lot of the things I have are more like filler items and I'm starting to wonder if they really look that good on me? I mean, there's no way I am wearing all of these clothes and I am starting to reevaluate my wardrobe in a different way. I am starting to want to surround myself with things that I truly enjoy and that look good on my body (hopefully they will fit both criteria) and ask myself the question, why have a lot of things I don't wear or really love when I can have a few good quality things I love and wear more? Or maybe I just want to recreate my own style, keeping things that I make for myself interspersed with a some other beautiful goodies...

After all, I am realizing that clothing, to me, is more than just being comfortable or wearing whatever happens to fit...it is an exciting and enjoyable form of creative self expression.

To kick off this new trend I finally completed a project that had been on my mind for quite a while. I don't usually mull projects in my head around for quite this long (since the end of last winter...ahem) but there you go anyway.

I started with a plain creamy cashmere cardigan, removing the crazy floral rhinestone buttons (they were not vintage so no loss there...and I saved them for a future project) and replaced them with some sweet glass and other creamy buttons from my vintage button stash. I attached them to the front and sewed a few cuties on one of the sleeves, along with some french knots...because you know it's all in the details. I used a raspberry color to sew the buttons on and embroider the details around them...I have some other ideas to use this color in other places, but I'm not totally convinced, so I went a little easy at first.

I also happen to have a stash of felted wool and holey cashmere sweaters (I mean, who doesn't?) that I sorted through to use for this project. I made some shapes, cut them up and embroidered them on. I especially enjoy the large mustard wool circle because I had the inspiration to use some of seam detailing from it's previous life as a sweater as a little decorative detailing. It was also fun to arrange the various shapes and use the patterns of the knits set in different directions...purl this way, knit this way...

And for some weird reason, I had it in my head that I would utilize quite a bit more of the sweater stash than I actually did so I have a lot more wool left over...which means I'm going to have to make even more projects with them...I'll make sure to document whatever I do though...I wonder just how many things I can make?