Upcycle a Dress

 Hello Readers. If you like sewing or just like clothes and fashion, you know nice fabric is expensive. I like to go to thrift shops to look for clothes. Sometimes I find clothes I like but a lot of times I find clothes that I can use for fabric to make something else. It's a much cheaper way to buy fabric.

Before and after. 

I wanted a soft cozy knit tank top. I didn't have any knit fabric in my fabric stash but that's OK. I had this dress from a thrift store. (Maybe a clothes swap? I can't remember...) I liked these fun stripes and this fabric was a beautiful knit material. I used this pattern to make an over sized tank top perfect for exercising. The pattern is Super Saver 8035.

 

I started by cutting the bodice off the skirt. I set it aside for later. I might need it to finish this project. The skirt is going to be enough fabric for an over sized tank top. 

 

I arranged the pattern pieces so that I could cut out the front and the back. I place the pattern so that the hem of the skirt would be the hem of the new shirt. That will save me time later. 

 

It is easy to sew the front and back of the shirt together. But the neckline and the arm holes are unfinished. I cut the scraps of the shirt into narrow strips and made some single fold bias tape. I could use it to finish the shirt. 
 

I sewed the bias tape I made around the neck hole. I held the bias tape firmly so that it would be smooth around the neck when I was done. I used it around the arm holes too. Using the dress for all the materials I needed for this top made it very economical. And it means that everything matches perfectly too. 

 

I liked the stripes so much that I made sure to highlight the pattern by NOT matching the stripes up. I thought it made the shirt more fun.

 

I took my new shirt and went for a walk. I try to walk everyday but in the summer that means I get hot and sweaty. Having an extra top to wear helps me keep exercising regularly. I can't skip it because I am out of exercise clothes. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.