Vera Wang Inspired Tulle Trim Cardigan Tutorial (Valentine's Day Themed)

I saw this Simply Vera by Vera Wang cardigan at Kohl's and thought it was super cute but way over priced at $64.  I thought about making one for myself but I really didn't want to go and use one of my cardigans and upcycle it so I decided to make a mini version for my friend's little girl.

Here's what you need to get started on your own or one for your mini me:

Supplies:

1. A Cardigan (old or new)
2. Tulle (4" for a child and 6" for an adult), the length of the tulle off the bolt should be plenty to go around the bottom band of the cardigan
3. Ribbon for the inside of the cardigan (make sure the width is not larger than the seam of the bottom band), you will need the length of the bottom band plus 3" extra
4. Rotary cutter and mat or scissors (unless the fabric store cut the tulle evenly, lucky you!)
5. Thread to match the color of the cardigan (I am using invisible thread)
6. Hand sewing needle

Instructions: 

1.  Cut and trim your tulle so that it is even.

2.  Take your hand sewing needle and start a gathering stitch for the tulle.  Once you have sewn the gathering stitch and the tulle is the length you need, tie off the thread with a knot (you can cut the gathering stitch once you have sewn down your gathers to the cardigan).

3.  Pin down the gathered tulle to the cardigan, keeping the top of the tulle close to the existing seam of the cardigan.

4.  Take your ribbon and lay it over the top of the gathering stitch at the top of the tulle.  Leave the extra length on the ends of the ribbon so you can fold it over and sew it down (to prevent the ribbon from fraying).  Pin it all in place. Placing the ribbon over the edge of the tulle will prevent it from rubbing against you while you wear the cardigan.  

5.  After you have everything pinned down you can start sewing your ribbon.  At this point you can cut the gathering stitch.  Begin sewing the bottom part of your ribbon and sew as close as you can to the existing seam.  If your cardigan is stretchy, you will want to pull it a little as you sew.  This will help preserve the stretch.  

  

6.  As you sew the top of the ribbon, remove your pins.  (The owl ribbon ended up being too wide for my project so I had to use a thinner ribbon, tragic!)

That's it, you're done!

I decided to add a little flair and make heart shaped felt elbow patches since the cardigan is Valentine's Day colors.

(Hopefully I will have time to write a tutorial to show you how I made these elbow patches)

I'd love to see pics of your creations :)  Feel free to share the links in the comment section! If you have questions leave me a comment or send me an email.