Fireplace Sweater: a Tragedy to Triumph

by cdstudioNH in Craft > Costumes & Cosplay

2808 Views, 12 Favorites, 0 Comments

Fireplace Sweater: a Tragedy to Triumph

DSCN0042.JPG
20191214_140924.jpg
123_1(3).jpeg
20191209_180551.jpg
christmasfire.jpg

It's Christmastime! When people everywhere take joy in decorating a Christmas tree, and gather around the fireplace to warm their toes while sipping hot cocoa.

Everyone but me.

: /

We were in the final throes of building our "Dream" Home, and due to a faulty install a very unfortunate event occurred: a Chimney Fire!

: (

Our beautiful Delta Fusion and custom stone hearth all destroyed, and the surrounding areas.

But we will rebuild and eventually all will be lovely again.

So since I will not take joy in decorating a Christmas tree, nor sipping hot cocoa in front of a fire.....

I will build it on a sweater.

: D

Supplies

  • A red sweater turtleneck
  • cream, green(s), brown colored yarns, needle
  • scrap fabric, old sweaters, fur pieces
  • pin cushion chair, dollhouse miniatures,
  • holiday decor, battery stringed lights
  • smart phone

Laying the Bricks, and Mantel, Garland and Wreath

20191207_162103.jpg
20191207_162148.jpg
20191207_203451.jpg
20191207_203757.jpg
20191207_204019.jpg
20191207_204219.jpg
20191207_211153.jpg
20191208_110206.jpg
20191213_134227.jpg
20191213_134329.jpg
20191208_134140.jpg
20191208_135310.jpg
20191208_142444.jpg
20191208_144450.jpg

Sewing the mortar, tips:

  • Keep a ruler handy or make a cardboard template to keep bricks relatively uniform. Chalking was unreliable, though if you have a mark-b-gone pen to grid the whole thing out, that might work okay.
  • You need to allow the sweater to stretch width-wise so keep that in mind while sewing by stretching as you set in several inches at a time.
  • I did only the front so that the back still retained all its original stretch. I stopped my brickwork just as the sleeve began, as the sleeves are actually the mantel, and I wanted a "wood" one.

    Creating yarn garland. You could save a bunch of time and use store-bought garland, but I wanted to use yarn as much as I could for the sweater. Two shades of green are nicer than one but not necessary.

    Using a small book, wrap and wrap(and wrap!) yarn around it. Slide off book and cut along each edge of yarn loop, creating many same-length strips. Using four strands, Make tassels around a 30" length of green yarn. Alternate colors, sliding tight next to each other. Trim garland thickness to size desired.

    Wood mantel: I save old wool sweaters and felt them. I found a tan one and cut off the entire ribbed bottom, sewed into a tube about 30" long by 2" wide, ironed flat and sewed onto the sweater, along the top and onto the sleeves. I tacked on using yarn and left a space at one end to feed the battery back for the stringed lights into.

    Many chimneys have wreaths over the mantels so I made one onto the turtle neck portion. I only sewed through one layer so the yarn wouldn't rub against my neck. With a yarn needle and long length of doubled yarn I sewed a series of loops onto a drawn circle, cut the ends and tied them. Embroidered some pine cones into it and added a yarn bow at the top.

Christmas Stockings

20191206_141046.jpg
20191206_142424.jpg
20191206_144306.jpg
20191206_150041.jpg
20191206_170642.jpg
20191207_170512.jpg
20191213_093008.jpg
20191213_093013.jpg
20191213_094208.jpg
20191213_093029.jpg

Our immediate household has four members:

Brian the Male Human, Cynthia the Female Human, Mona the Chocolate Lab, and Rajah the Cat(15 minutes of fame here): Cat Adventure and Escape Wall

Using scraps of felt and faux fur I created a stocking for everybody, and filled them with things they like.

I then hung them from the mantel with yarn and tacked each down a bit to keep them from being too wobbly.

Christmas Tree!!

20191208_202347.jpg
20191208_212217.jpg
20191208_213702.jpg
20191208_222219.jpg
20191210_214428.jpg
20191210_225808.jpg
20191211_214728.jpg
20191211_220302.jpg
20191211_220439.jpg
20191211_222145.jpg
20191211_222212.jpg
20191213_081147.jpg
20191213_082523.jpg
20191213_081854.jpg

I tacked bundles of yarn strips to the sweater in decreasing sizes.

Trimmed to a nice shape then added shorter stands to fill out the tree.

Then came the stringed lights, only $6 at Target. The strand was long enough to do the entire tree, mantel, and even the wreath!

The battery pack tucks into the top left of the mantel and the switch is easily accessed.

Chenille yarn to make a cozy garland, some miniature bulb ornaments, a beautiful star, and presents for under the tree. And even a choo-choo train! Why the holly not? Everything sourced from The Christian Craft Store(Hobby Lobby).

Cuddly Chair, Etc

20191209_111359.jpg
20191209_112314.jpg
20191209_112849.jpg
20191209_195843.jpg
20191209_211448.jpg
20191209_221020.jpg
20191209_221346.jpg
20191211_224625.jpg
20191213_082506.jpg
20191213_152113.jpg
20191213_082517.jpg

I don't know why they make pin cushions in the shape of chairs, but they do. Even though I am a Seamstress I always bought them not for their intended purpose, but for my daughter's Barbie Dolls. Made much more sense.

I located one from storage and brought into the wood shop. I removed the back and seat cushion and sliced it diagonally in half using the band saw. I sliced the seat cushion to match the new shape with a box cutter.

I found the perfect fabric and reupholstered the chair using hot glue.

A scrap of flannel for the blanket(fringed the edges), a darling Teddy bear and a pile of fire logs for the finishing touches.

The Manger Scene. Can't have Christmas without one!

Lastly, the button hole for my phone's hotpocket(popsocket) and velcro piece(with an accompanying piece on my phone) to keep it in place while the fire sizzles.

(Virtual Fireplace - The app is free on google play... you can upgrade with bucks for more features.)

The Finished Sweater!

Christmas sweater for Instructables
photo-6534390969597952.jpeg
photo-4806440029061120.jpeg

Should get lots of laughs at the Christmas Party!