“Game On, Quilters: A Thrifty Sweatshirt Refashion Challenge”. That’s what the cover says…and we’re the instigators! Deborah and I challenged each other to a quilted sweatshirt sleeve challenge and extended it to the readers of We Like Sewing. We set the rules, wrote instructions, and provided some tips for success. Join us!

Refashion a sweatshirt and tag your pictures online #QuiltedSweatshirtSleeve. Not sure where to start. Learn how in the We Like Sewing online magazine.

We Like Sewing 2026 October Issue

This must read and sew issue just hit the web. We Like Sewing 2026 October is a blast to browse. It has fashion, fun and festive patterns in it. I adored the Halloween projects. The butterfly wings for children looks super adorable. There’s also a roundup of 15 weekend projects you can work on this fall including Deborah’s pumpkin plant holder.

Why and How Do We Upcycle?

The #1 reason we love refashion and upcycling is that old clothes are getting dusted off and worn again. And we love that we can plot and sew and wear our creativity on our sleeves.

• First and foremost, we shop our own closets.
  Deborah found a sweatshirt she hadn’t worn in years…and decided to quilt the sleeves.
• Second, we pick through our fabric stashes.
  They aren’t large and our fabrics are very random, but we always turn here to get the project rolling.
• Third, we go thrifting.
  This is where the real hunt begins. We browse for beautiful fabrics in several departments including: bed linens, curtains, fabric remnants, pillow shams, and even clothing.
  Bed linens are a great place to source solid fabrics.
  The sunflower used on my sweatshirt was a thin polyester valance.
• Fourth, I rummage through the “free” table at my sewing and quilting guild meetings.
  Most of the fabrics people bring to the free table are small…which is great for small quilted projects like sweatshirt sleeves.

Here are some close up shots of our refashioned sleeves from upcycled fabrics. The printable template for the flower is available in the magazine, too.

Ready to sew your own sweatshirt sleeves? Get started with the We Like Sewing 2026 October issue.

Tag your photos online: #QuiltedSweatshirtSleeve

Can’t wait to see your quilted sleeves!

Dana