Upcycled Sweaters and Applique

My fingers are happiest stitching and sewing and sketching and printing and writing and making.

I showed you the blue whale sweater I recently made here, but I've made a few more and wanted to share those too. I found adorable thrift store sweaters and added original applique, vintage buttons, and hand stitches for "up-cycled" embellishments. Three sweaters for three little ones on the way--mine and two others.

Detail: barn swallow sweater with pink felted hearts and a blanket stitch at the collar.

The sweater front-side, kept company by one adorable MODify/d elephant and a Gentle Giraffe (gifts from friends).

My favorite handmade barn swallow stencils are at it again--this time in hot pink.

Front side: a circus-inspired sweater complete with an elephant and balloons. I was happy to find a home for a few vintage buttons.

It's amazing how gendered clothes are for the little ones. I do love Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby for her thoughtful approach to baby design and gender too.

Back side of the circus-inspired sweater. Elephants are supposed to be good luck, no?

This yellow elephant was once a thrift store sweater himself. A few times through the washer and dryer and it was felted into a lovely buttery texture. (Hooray for cashmere.)

This whale sweater is a gift for my own little mister. I've been researching and writing about whales and marine mammals, so this blue whale made its way into my stitches.

Blue whale sweater front-side.

Blue whale back-side with breaching water drops.

I like how they look all together--as if they are assembled for a crafty child's circus!

Today is my first day of scheduled maternity leave. After working for three years with the same arts organization, a scheduled leave feels so strange. And also liberating. And somehow calming. And certainly exciting. And also nervous-making. But mostly, exciting.

xoxo,
k