If there's one thing I love, it's a cute, crewneck sweatshirt. Whatever the season, they're my go-to cozy addition to any outfit. Paired with boots in the fall or shorts in the summer, they're the perfect casual piece.
While scrolling TikTok recently, I was inspired by a series of crewnecks and jackets Green Folk Collective DIY-ed with frayed, patwork-y letters spelling "BE NICE". I loved the look and decided to make my own out of thrifted and up-cycled pieces from my closet.
I thrifted this cream GAP sweatshirt recently. It's so soft inside and is going to be the perfect, neutral canvas for this project.
I had originally planned to cut up a pair of old jeans to make my letters, but while doing a closet clean out, I spotted a gingham button up that I've had forever. It used to be one of my favorites, but I don't wear it much anymore. I love the fabric, the color, and the pattern so I'm going to use it for my letters.
I printed off my phrase in the font I wanted, cut it out, and traced each letter backwards on the backside of my fabric. Once I had cut my fabric letters, I blotted the edges with a piece of tape to create a little extra fraying.
Here you can see the difference before and after fraying.
Next, I placed and pinned my phrase and attempted to stitch them in place. I think my fabric was a little too thin and my sweatshirt was a little too thick because this just did not want to work out. I was way too nervous I'd destroy all my letters trying to attach them this way so I ended up just gluing them on with fabric glue. I'm confident they'll hold over time and I really tried to get close to the edges with my glue to prevent any further fraying.
I think this sweatshirt turned out so adorable! It's definitely one I'll be reaching for a lot especially on chilly mornings for garage sailing.
