Thursday 11 June 2015

Make Do and Mend - from Hubby's Shirt to My Blouse


 I have several of Hubby's shirts in my stash cupboard.  For one reason or another he has not work the for years.  This one is a Ben Sherman shirt made of beautiful fabric.  Too good to waste.

I bought two beautiful pieces of fabric in Paris and do not want to cut into them until I am sure that the style and fit are exactly what I want, so I consider this a toile which I can also wear.  I'm pleased with the result and will now make it up in white linen without the front opening, but with two patch pockets.



This is the fabric up close.  You can see why I love it.


The first step was the hardest.  I had to steal myself to cut into the shirt.
Collar off  Sleeves off. 


Laying out the pieces and deciding how to use them.


I decided to use the sleeve hems rather than unpick them and then hem them again.


It's hard to see it, but I used the buttons and buttonholes for the front of my shirt. (Why re-invent the wheel?)

I stitched the sleeves using French seams to avoid a messy finish at the bottom.
You can see the gentle gathering at the head of the sleeves.  Two rows of stitching ensure that the sleeves will go into the armholes evenly.



My friend, Sue, modelling the shirt for me. She preferred it worn like a short sleeved jacket.


A close up of Sue wearing the blouse.  I nearly gave it to her.


Sue show the blouse buttoned up.


7 comments:

  1. I love how this turned out! The shirt looks so light and cool. I would not have been able to get rid of that shirt either. What a beautiful texture! Did you do a facing on the neckline, or is it just turned and stitched?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I liked seeing that you laid a commercial pattern piece on top of the sleeve. That is what I would have to do, too, rather than invent my own pattern! It turned out really well and gives me courage to do this myself.

    ReplyDelete
  3. gta5apk.best
    select install Office from the Office page and click on install. If you have a work or school account, click on install Office App.

    ReplyDelete