I beaded this sweater more than a year ago, and only now finally got around to taking photos of it! But I was more than happy with the way it turned out.
What do you do when true vintage is too expensive, too hard to find in your size, or too fragile? Why, buy a modern piece and make it vintage appropriate! A few months ago I showed you how I took a modern sweater coat with some interesting elements and gave it more of a 1930s swagger coat makeover. This one is much less involved and even more period accurate, since sweaters in classic shapes really never go out of style and are still easy to find.
When I found this cardigan at a thrift store, I loved the color, and the lightweight 3/4 sleeve style is one I wear a lot in the winter. But it was very plain. So I decided it would be a perfect canvas to try a bit of beading and embroidery on. It languished for a while before I got the impetus to go ahead, but once I did, it went quite rapidly.
I looked up ideas on Pinterest first, of vintage 1950s sweaters or sweater ads. Once I found one I liked, I based my sweater beading on it, though I did end up doing some things differently - but it gave me a starting place. Honestly, with something like this, it's hard to go wrong - so many options would look great on it, and you can settle for a little bit of trim, or a lot.
I chose to just decorate the neckline, but lots of cardigans were also decorated down each side of the front opening as well, or an all-over front embroidery, or a fancy deep hem embroidery. Like I said, the possibilities are endless.
I used some beads from my stash...3mm glass pearls because they are so classic and add a touch of contrast, and some deep purple iridescent seed beads, as well as using embroidery floss for the flowers on the front. I used a beading needle that would easily go through the hole in those tiny beads. I did not draw out the pattern, but you easily could if you want a more perfect pattern than just estimating by eye gives.
It's a bit different to embroider on a stretchy knit, but you just have to handle it carefully and try not to either pull threads too tightly or stretch it out as you bead.
I was in a bit of a hurry to finish it, so I only made the deeper decoration on the front instead of extending it all around the neckline, but it still looks fine, though of course it would make more of a statement if the yoke decoration were wider. I can easily see how another repeat of the pattern as well would be quite stunning.
Sweaters were worn both for casual and dress in the 1950s, just like today. They could be worn belted or not - belts are quite handy to make a slightly too big sweater fit you at the waist, as well as a fashion statement. Often they were sold as matching sweater sets, but not always. They were also often worn with a turtleneck underneath, which is how I styled it here for a more casual look.
I left the sweater buttons in place, but I could replace them with something else (pearl ones for instance) if I wanted to dress it up even more with a minimum of effort.
If you want to give this a try, find a simple, unadorned, classic cardigan with a thinner yarn rather than a chunky knit, preferably hip length and fitted at the waist (or you can wear a belt). Look up ideas, and go for it! Paired with a pencil skirt or a circle skirt and the right accessories, it can look completely suitable and accurate.
It makes a plain cardigan instantly classy, personalized, and feminine, and takes it from boring to special. It takes very little money (if you thrift, or use one you already have), and only a little time. All the charm of the vintage, with the easy care and fit of the modern.
And there are so many ideas of decorative combinations to try! I think more of these are in my future...
