Hello Readers. Do you have any clothes that have grown too tight? Is it just me? Life happens, aging happens, clothes get too tight. Read on to see how I made clothes "grow" to fit me.
This dress was soft and stretchy so I could technically get it on my body. You can see how tight the dress is on my dress form, and this dress form is a little smaller than I am.
I couldn't wear it this tight.
I couldn't wear it this tight.
I decided to cut the bottom of this dress off and make a shirt. I cut along the seam and saved the lower part of the dress for later.
I cut along the side seams to open the shirt. I cut the seams from the bottom, all the way up to the ends of the arms. I wanted the shirt completely open on the sides to insert extra fabric and make it bigger.
I also cut this black shirt up for material. I cut strips of the black fabric to put into the sides of my striped shirt and make the shirt wider. I thought 2 of these black strips, 1 on each side, would make the shirt big enough.
(I was wrong. I underestimated, but that's OK. Read on.)
(I was wrong. I underestimated, but that's OK. Read on.)
The side pieces looked great but the shirt was still a little tighter than I wanted. I should have made the black pieces bigger.
I could have taken the side pieces out and put in larger pieces. That would have been a lot more work. I decided to add a strip of black fabric down the middle of the back of this shirt. It added about 2 inches. That was just right.
Remember that piece of dress I cut off? I added some of it to the bottom as a waistband. I used the part with the hem already on it. It made the new shirt look more finished. And I really liked the contrast of horizontal and vertical stripes.
I kept the shirt long enough to tuck in but I also like it out so all the stripes show. I wore this to a kids birthday party last weekend. It was perfect. (Until I dropped red sauce on myself when I was pigging out on home-made spring rolls. Oops!)
Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.
*Year end update- This shirt became an instant favorite. I am still loving it.
*Year end update- This shirt became an instant favorite. I am still loving it.
2 comments:
Great refashion! One of my favorite sewing tricks for striped fabric is to add some sleeve or waist bands (or hem bands for a skirt) with the stripes rotated 90 degrees.
Hi KD. Thanks for the comment. The stripes in different directions can be really appealing can't it. I will have to remember and use the idea again.
Happy Sewing to you!
Chickie
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