DIY: HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SWEATSHIRT JUMPER

STEP ONE:

Lay pattern pieces on table, place jersey pieces on top of pattern and jigsaw pieces together to fill in pattern pieces - you’ll need to cut the jersey to match the shape of the pattern. Pin the edges of the fabric together (wrong sides of the fabric next to each other) and stitch along using blanket stitch.

Once you’ve cut your length of thread, make sure you split the thread in half (your embroidery thread is made of 6 thinner threads, split these 6 threads into two groups of 3 threads, this will make it easier to thread your needle and the thread goes further!). Stitch a section of the panels together and then pin more patches around it, to build the rest of the pattern pieces. Repeat this process for the front, back, collar and X2 sleeves.

STEP TWO:

Once you have stitch all the main panels together, put the front (wrong side of the fabric touching) on top of the back, pin the shoulder seams and stitch together. After the shoulder seams, pin the sleeve head (the larger curve at the top of the sleeve) into the arm hole. This is probably the most tricky bit, as you may need to stretch the sleeve head to fit into the arm hole in some area, pin as you go and then stitch around. When you have stitch the sleeve head in, fold the sleeve in half and pin along the under am of the sleeve and down the side seam of the top.

STEP THREE:

Now the main body is complete, patchwork the collar together - you need to make x2 of these. When you’ve made two collars, place one on top of the other and stitch all the way around the lower edge to join them. Then pin the top curve of the collar (the shorter one) around the neckline of the top. Start by match the centre back of the collar with the centre back of the top (fold each in half to find the centre point) and work your way around the neckline using lots of pins. Once pinned, stitch the collar to the jumper. AND BOOM. You’ve finished your jumper!!

Click here to get your own kit.

P.S Hand sewing can be quite slow, so don’t worry if this take a bit of time. Or if you have a sewing machine, why not try it on the machine or overlocker.

How to do blanket stitch:

Figure 1 start by looping the thread around both layers of fabric a few times to secure the stitch. Have a knot in the end of your thread to ensure it does not pull out. Figure 2 + 3 Start your next stitch, pushing the needle from the back of the layers to the front. Make sure this stitch is at least 0.5cm away from the first stitch and is at least 0.5cm deep into the fabric. Figure 4 Pull the needle and thread through the second stitch and when it is almost tight, thread the needle through the loop at the top. Reinsert the needle at the back of the fabric and repeat.

See the video below for further demos of this. Remember to pull the thread so the stitch is tight and secure but be carefully not to pull it too tightly so pull the fabric.