I made a crazy quilt sweater........out of a sweat shirt

I love sweat shirts...........

I love their bagginess, I love their softness, and I love their versatility.  

I also love collecting vintage embroidered linens. Some times these linens have so many holes and stains that they cannot be used as dresser scarves or towels.......

but the embroidery on them is still beautiful.

I keep these linens.............to cut and to use the embroidery in projects like this..........

I started working on this back in August of 2015 and I wanted to get it finished. 

I cut the sweatshirt down the front to make the sweater opening.

I then cut and shaped the pieces of embroidered linens around the neck line to form a yoke

and basted them into place with either a dark blue or black thread so that I can later take out the basting after the embroidery work is done.

I work the pieces all the way around to the back as well

adding crochet pieces when I am able to find them. 

I also add lovely floral fabric

so that I can embroider over the flowers to add extra charm

I also embroidered the phrase onto this one embroidered piece........

I love this phrase.........don't you?

There was room for one tiny spider web......

I also love the intricate crocheted edgings and keep them in tact with the embroidery when I can.

As you can see, I also added a trailing vine with a rose bud from the fabric embroidery

another floral piece of fabric with flowers to embroider. I also try to be creative with my "crazy quilt" embroidery seams

this pretty embroidered basket had lovely leaves

so I used that idea to embroider the top seam.

I decided to work with some little felt flowers on one block. I edge stitched the ends with a closed buttonhole stitch to prevent fraying 

this was some lovely floral red and white fabric that I had............

again, I embellished it with embroidery to make it pop

Somewhere in all of my embroidery work.........I add my name

This little doily made the perfect large size pocket for the sweater

and now it is finished..........

front.........

and back. 

So now it's your turn..........go through your closet to find your favorite sweatshirt......

or buy a new as I did here........they are usually under $10

and let your imagination and creativity fly!