Jazz-up Your Boring Shirts

Mum gave me an old shirt of hers that she didn't like, and it was really dull and I would never have worn it. So I decided to upcycle it into something that I was more likely to choose from my wardrobe. First of all, I took it up, literally by cutting along the bottom then doing a rolled hem. Easy peasy.

Then I added some leatherette on the collar to make it more defined and more interesting.

Then I cut a pocket off of an old pair of shorts, and, after unpicking the original pocket, I sewed it on. Then I added a line of studs from the shorts, just 'cos I felt like it.

That is all I did for this shirt, but I had a lot of ideas that I was thinking of doing, so there will be some more in the near future...

I Finally Got A Mannequin!

Look what arrived in the post today!

I FINALLY have a a mannequin. Which is a great relief. I am so used to having to hang my projects in my wardrobe, and on the back of my door!

This is the shirt that I made a while ago:
(Original blog post is here.)

Men's Work Shirt = Women's Strappy Top

Before: (with the sleeves cut off)

After:

I used:
- Blue swallow edging
- Shirt
- Thread
- Machine

How?:
1. I first of all cut off the sleeves, as shown in the first picture, because I had planned to make a short sleeved top instead.
2. Then I cut the collar off to see what it looked like.

3. At this point I changed my mind and decided to cut underneath where the sleeve holes end.

4. Then I put it on inside out and pinned straight down the side seams to make it fit. Then I took it off and sewed down that line using a straight stitch.

5. Then I cut off the excess fabric and zigzag stitched the raw edges.
6. I bound the top using the blue tape - I ironed it in half first, then went around the top pinning into place. I then sewed with a straight stitch, but as it began to come apart in places I went over it in a zigzag stitch. At this stage I made the two layers of fabric where the buttons are separate, but as this was difficult, I...
7. ... sewed down the front next to the buttons to permanently close the front together.

8. Then I made the straps (0.5cm wide). I did this by measuring a 2cm width bit of fabric (left over from the sleeves or from the top of the back) of the desired length, then ironing a crease in the centre (1/2 along) (1cm from the edge), and at 1/4 along (0.5cm from edge), and at 3/4 along (1.5cm from edge). I sewed the edges into the centre, folding on the 1/4 line and the 3/4 line. Then to finish I folded on the centre line and sewed straight down to make the strap. Then I repeated this whole process for the other strap.
9. I sewed them in by putting the garment on and pinning the straps on so that they looked right, basically! In the end they were 10.5cm from the centre at the front (either side of the buttons), and 4cm inside the darts at the back.