Materials used in this project:

–Sweatshirt (button down front)
–Cream colored acrylic yarn
–Size J Crochet Needle
–Cream colored sewing thread
–Cloth Tape Measure

I have a cream colored jacket that I’ve had for so many years (too many to mention), made from a sweatshirt-like fabric that I love wearing during the fall season. One of the things I love about it is that I can unbutton it when it gets too warm. Last year, I was going through a pile of clothes to donate and I came across my cream colored jacket. It was still in such great condition that I decided to do my next embellishment project with it. That same week while I looking through one of my fashion catalogs, I came across a beautiful cream colored sweater with a very pretty crocheted collar. That’s when I got the idea that I could embellish my old jacket with a pretty crocheted collar.

The collar of my jacket was thick enough for me to sew on a crocheted trim. So I was able to use a skein of cream colored yarn that I had left over from a previous project and was able to use a crochet pattern from one of my books. I measured the length of my collar and started crocheting. I used a size J crochet needle and enjoyed crocheting the decorative trim. Once I finished the trim, I hand sewed it onto the collar with a sewing needle and matching colored thread.

I was very pleased with how wonderful the trim looked on the collar. I absolutely loved it – so much that I decided to crochet two more trims for the cuffs, which also turned out beautiful.

While looking at the overall look of the jacket, I thought something was off and that it needed something near the bottom. I noticed that the bottom edge of my jacket had a wide hem so I measured the line of hem stitching all the way around to see if I had enough yarn. It would come close, so I decided to crochet a few rows of crocheted chains to cover the hem stitching. I crocheted three rows of single chains, which when completed looked just like a braided band. I then hand sewed the band over the hem stitching. It looked fantastic and completed the look of my jacket.

I love the look that I was able to create for my jacket and how I was able to add it back into my wardrobe. I managed to not only make it a casual piece but even a piece with a little more elegance. Its amazing how a little bit of work with knitting or crocheting can give a piece of clothing a new life.