How To Make a Chanel Cardigan

Turn an off-the-rack cardigan into a stunning faux-Chanel cardigan with just a few strips of bouclé. (Juicy Couture cardigan courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman)

I happened to be in Greenwich, Connecticut, this week and when I'm there I always visit the Saks store for a little snoop shopping. There's a nice-sized Chanel boutique inside and the sales staff is receptive to shoppers like me who fondle the merchandise but leave empty-handed. I spotted a black cashmere Chanel cardigan that had some simple touches any of us could easily add to an off-the-rack cardigan. Here's what you do:

1. Start with a basic black cardigan, similar in style to the gray one I show above.

2. Take that black bouclé you have in your stash, preferably a bouclé with some contrast yarns in it, and cut bias strips about 1 inch to 1.5 inches in width. Leave the edges raw.

3. Sew strips to tops of pockets and on sleeves as shown above.

4. Replace the buttons with silver buttons, preferably with a little crest on them.

5. The Chanel cardigan had a breast pocket too, and this had two strips of different black bouclés—one was a solid black, the other had some ivory yarns in it—sewn in parallel rows at the top of the pocket. The sleeves had contrasting bouclé strips.
   

Pretty easy, huh? If I have some spare time this weekend I might try it with a black cardigan I already own. Please share the results if you decide to make your own faux-Chanel cardigan.

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Congratulations to Amber of Confessions of the Pink Obsessed who was the random winner of my giveaway drawing. Amber, please send me an email with your address so I can get your copy of Weekend Sewing out to you. And don't despair if you didn't win because I assure you there will be more giveaways in the future!

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Thanks for all your suggestions on what to do with my coat. Me too, I love the idea of wearing it with a fur funnel around the neck and some long gloves. I probably will wear it open most of the time, like the Milly inspiration coat I showed, but I do need some kind of closure for colder weather. There is a strong chance I'll be at M&J Trims this weekend to further investigate my options. (And, dear readers, I do not rue taking out the pickstitching. Surprisingly, the pickstitching took the coat in a more contemporary direction and I want a retro look. At least that's what I'm thinking today.)

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Suffering for the sake of sexy. These are the heels Annie wore with her sailor dress for Halloween. These are the heels that caused her to trip and bang her knee so severely it required a visit to the orthopedist and an x-ray. This is the mother who resisted saying "I told you so." (It's not so much fun to say when your kid is in pain, darn it all.) No broken bones, thankfully, the knee is much better and Annie is sticking to flats. For now.


Have a great weekend everyone! I am plotting my next Chanel jacket as we speak. Hope you get lots of sewing time in!