Strawberries and Chocolate Shirt Refashion

  I had time to sew something this week! It was a  quick, simple refashion, but sewing nonetheless. I've had this lovely pink shirt for a while now, but I've only worn it once since I picked it up at the thrift store.

  I'm not a huge pink-wearer, but I love the tiny ruffles on the yoke and cuffs of this shirt.

  The main reason I didn't wear it was that it was just too short, and that made it really unflattering. I had a few ideas about lengthening it, but couldn't decide what color fabric to use, since I didn't have any extra of the original. I finally decided on chocolate brown, because what goes better with strawberries than chocolate? =) And because I love my sweets, I added some pretty white lace trim for whipped cream.

  So first, and my main mistake while refashioning this shirt, I chopped the shirt in half. And yes, I tried it on first to see where a waistband should sit. =)

   It worked, and it ended up looking all right, but I should have folded it with the front of the shirt on one side, and the back on the other, side seams touching, and cut my line slightly higher at the back than front, to account for the bust curve.

  Next I cut some chocolate fabric about 2 inches longer than the circumference of the opening, and two pieces of trim the same length. I cut the fabric 4 inches wide, for a finished height of 3 inches. (Which added 2 inches total to the length of the shirt, when you include the shirt seam allowances.)

  I sewed a 'placket' on one side of my fabric by folding the fabric over twice, to the same width as the shirt placket, and top-stitching on either side.

  Then I put the waistband piece face up with trim pointing toward the center of it, and set the shirt right side down on top of it, matching up the plackets:

  I pinned a lot and sewed the seam, then sewed the lower half of the shirt on the same way.

  I finished those seams by serging, then finished the end opposite the placket by tucking it under twice and top-stitching down. Then I pressed all my seams really well and top-stitched along the top and bottom of the waistband, and added a buttonhole and button.

  I managed to get my buttonhole lever sensor working, but I still had trouble with the width of the stitches and the thread breaking. I ended up having to pick the buttonhole stitches out several times, which is NO fun, but I got a not-bad one in the end.

  Here is the finished shirt:

  And here it is on me, with my triple ruffle skirt:

 
   I know this outfit looks completely edible, but I kind of love it. =)

 

  
  My husband was super-nice and took these photos for me. =)

  And wow, I didn't realize that my belly had grown so much until I saw this photo!

 I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, but having only small, high mirrors does make a baby bump a little difficult to see sometimes. =)

  Thanks for stopping by!