Found Item: Peacock blue cashmere sweater

Where: Alley in the DePaul neighborhood in a bag of clothes

The Makeover: I threw the sweater in the washer on the hottest setting with extra rinse, then line dried it.  Next, the sewing stage.  As a skill, sewing seems to go through waves of fashionability.  Once part of the home ec set of tools, it then morphed into chic self expression and Vogue patterns.  It’s now enjoying popularity in the craft scene by all genders,  I’m happy to say.  Everyone should know how to sew on a button or whip stitch a skull patch onto a jacket.

I cut pieces from the sweater and fabric on hand to make a pillow 20 by 12, sewed facings on the back fabric to make a tie closure.  I cut down a standard size pillow form to 20 by 11.

Materials: Vintage Waverly “Hermitage Crewel” cotton fabric ( if you sew, friends will  sometimes give you fabric they have no idea what to do with),  20 by 20 pillow form from JoAnn Fabrics, $14.49, the sweater and my trusty Pfaff  sewing machine.