And now for something different, the next project item in the Stitching Experiments Project is not an accessory and not something an adult would wear, but rather a baby jacket.
The original piece is worked in superwash merino sport weight yarn in a dark brown color. It features a simple seamed construction and a basic stitch pattern: garter stitch. The design is minimal and the feel of the fabric is soft and squishy. A great example for a baby garment.
Due to the size of this piece and it’s intended purpose, it was clear to me from the beginning that the afterthought techniques I could use would be limited. I knew pleating or other seaming techniques would not work. Therefore I decided to stick to embroidery, aka surface work. This meant that my work would not alter or influence the sizing of the existing piece.
Since this is intended for a small human to wear, it means that it needs to be easily washable and durable. With this feature in mind, I looked into the leftovers stash and specifically looked only for superwash merino yarns. I had some luck and found several examples in various colors.
I made some color choices and did some tests on the fabric to check if I liked the combination. Then I did some further testing to settle on which embroidery stitches to use. Thankfully, this process did not take too much time and I had the chance to start working on the piece soon after.
I had two yarns at hand: one solid-color yarns and one self-striping yarn. With considerable color variation added, I decided to stick to very simple stitches. I worked full cross stitches and half cross stitches across the bottom of the body and the neck opening, horizontally.
Finally, I worked a simple single crochet border around the neck and the front openings. This was to add some more color contrast, but also durability to the edges.
The final result looks super cute. I like how the different colors work together. They highlight the embroidery and also the shape of the jacket. It remains a very functional baby jacket with some extra fun detail.
It was definitely a fun project to work on; baby things are quite fun because everything is at a smaller scale and work ends considerably quicker.
What do you think of this transformation? Let me know in the comments below!
And if you would like to have this piece, you can purchase The Embroidered Baby Jacket in my shop. 🙂
