Refashion It! The Jersey Blazer (no sewing machine needed!)

I love blazers. I love red. Bright red blazers can look really cool, but this one was a weird mixture of too bold and too boring.

I love that it’s a jersey blazer, which kind of makes it more casual (since I don’t go to fancy events too often). But I thought that some contrasting colour was missing. It was just too red.

Look at all the red. RED.

I love to combine red and black and found that beautiful black lace in my fabric stash that has been waiting its turn for quite some time.

I also love to embroider fabrics with beads and sequins, I have no idea why. It takes so much time and hurts your eyes, but I guess the process is just really relaxing and meditative, like knitting for example.

After a huge amount of coffee, Star Wars Episodes IV & V and some Game of Thrones in between, I finally finished the blazer today. I only used simple handsewing techniques. (Even for the bias binding I used backstitching. The jersey fabric would’ve been too heavy for the machine and the jersey bias binding too stretchy.)

So if you don’t have access to a sewing machine, this could be a perfect project for you. You don’t need too many materials, no complicated sewing techniques, just a handful of beads, a few strips of lace and bias binding and A LOT of time and patience.

Instructions for making your own embellished blazer

If you do not have so much time, omit the beads and use some lace trim instead for the collar.

First of all, I took out these two bad guys (by opening the lining at the hem).

What you’ll need:

• black thread
• beads (different sizes and colours)
• black sequins
• black bias binding
• lace
• scissors, sewing needle

I made the bias binding from a black jersey (I guess there’s some Lycra in it, too).

Cut out some strips of fabric (approx. 4cm wide) on the bias, enough to cover the edges of collar and pockets.

Cut out the lace, a little larger than the pocket. Pin it.

… then pin up the piping (if there’s some), so you can easily hide the lace under it.

After sewing the lace on with a basting stitch all the way around (approx. 0.5-1cm from the edge), start attaching the bias binding:

Start with the side facing up. Place the bias binding on the lace, right sides together. Handstitch approx. 1cm from the edge.

Tightly pull the binding over the edge. 

Pin the raw edge under and stitch (I used a backstitch).

To hide the raw edge of the lace, I sewed the piping onto the flap using a slipstitch.

Now it’s time to add some sparkle!

I embroidered the flap with black beads, silver-blue rocailles and black sequins.

I embroidered the collar sewing on black beads in two different sizes, starting at the bottom. Half-way up the collar I added silver-blue rocailles.

Since the collar did not have piping where I could hide the raw edge of the lace, I used a satin stitch all the way along the lower edge where I couldn’t add bias binding. This took almost as long as watching the whole Episode IV. So may the force be with you!

But it was totally worth it!

Here’s a close-up of the embroidered collar. I placed black sequins under the silver-blue rocailles. The beading also keeps the lace nicely in place.

I love my old new blazer (thanks mum for clearing out your wardrobe 🙂 ). I don’t like so much that the blazer lost a bit of its casualness. It looks really good with jeans and t-shirt, but I still feel a bit overdressed wearing it at work or when having coffee with a friend.

What do you think? How would you style it? Do you also enjoy time-consuming sewing-techniques (haha)?

Happy Sewing!
♥

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