Sweater Redux: Toddler Tunic

This simple tunic took all of an hour. It utilizes the existing neck hole, has a simple body shape, and repurposes the sleeve cuffs as mini cap sleeves. I imagine it worn over a long-sleeved t-shirt, but alas, it was over 80 degrees when she posed for this picture.

Deconstruct the Sweater
Start with a felted %100 wool sweater. You will probably need a men's sweater to have enough material to work with. (Aside: This sweater had some cotton in it, so it could not be felted, but I did shrink it some. It worked fine for this experiment, but I imagine felted material would be much easier to sew because it would stretch a lot less.) Remove the sleeves and waistband and cut up the side seams. Carefully remove the cuffs from the sleeves. Then, extra carefully split the seam on the side of the cuff. This will give you two rectangular pieces with finished (not raw) edges. The will be the mini cap sleeves.

Make Your Pattern

To get a tunic shape, you want a fit in between a t-shirt and an a-line dress. On pattern paper, trace around a dress and a t-shirt and then sketch out an a-line tunic shape in between the two. Fold along the midline to cut out a symmetrical pattern.

Cut It Out

Spread out what remains of the body of the sweater. Aline the top of the pattern with the shoulder seams of the sweater, making sure you are centered on the existing neck hole, and cut out the pattern on the front and back.

Sew around the Arm Holes

Turn under about 1/4 inch and sew with a zig-zag stitch. Practice on a piece of scrap sweater to make sure you have a good stitch setting that allows some stretch and doesn't cause the material to bunch. If you use a coordinating thread, the stitch is pretty well hidden by the loft of the sweater.

Attach Mini Cap Sleeves

With the tunic right side out, pin the deconstructed cuffs into place at an angle as shown below. Then lay the sweater out flat to stitch them in place.

Finish It Up

Turn the tunic inside out and trim away the excess cuff material. Turn a 1/4-inch hem along the bottom using the same technique for the arm holes, and stitch up the sides. Done!