The Sewing Bug Strikes Back!

A few weeks back, I had a much-needed date with my sewing machine to give some new life to one of my favorite old t-shirts. (You can see it here!) Since I enjoyed it so much, I decided to have some more fun.

And the two become one…

I started off with two shirts that just don’t work for me on their own. The stripped shirt’s neckline is just too high for my body type. (At least, I think so.) And the lace shirt is beautiful but it doesn’t breathe. At all. Which makes it miserable to wear even in the winter.

Two great shirts that just don’t work so well on their own…

But I figured that they would make the perfect shirt when combined. While I would have loved to use the lace sleeves, that’s the most suffocating part of the shirt, so instead, I opted to use the stripped shirt’s sleeves. That’ll make more sense in a minute…

So, first, I cut the shirts straight across just below the arm holes.

Then I cut the sleeves off of the lace shirt (much to my chagrin because they’re beautiful).

With those gone, it was time to pin the top part of the lace shirt to the bottom part of the stripped shirt.

Always make sure that right sides are together! And leave at least a pressure foot’s width of seam allowance!

After I sewed them, I made sure that the seam laid nicely.

Here’s what it looked like at this point:

From the front…

… and the back

Cute and certainly a finished product, but I wanted to make it look a little more sophisticated, so I added the stripped shirt’s sleeves back onto the existing armholes.

The key is to start at the side seams at the bottom of the sleeve and pin towards the top. Make sure it lays flat the whole way.

Once I sewed them on (right sides together and very gently), the shirt was ready!

Finally done!

And just like that, the lace that I liked from the one shirt makes the stripped shirt more flattering. And less suffocating. What will become of the lace sleeves and the rest of the lace shirt? Only time will tell…

C’est la Mode

In this whole matter of blogging more frequently, I stumbled upon an idea. I like fashion. I enjoy glancing through In Style and Lucky magazines for inspiration, cruising through Pinterest for ideas, and borrowing clothing philosophy from my mom (who is perhaps the most fashionable yet thrifty person that I know). So why not occasionally write about it?

As a teacher and as a matter of principle, I like great outfits that are comfy, so that’s what I promise to deliver.

My favorite outfit of the week (which happens to be what I’m wearing right now):

The oversized striped shirt is one of the most comfortable shirts that I own. To dress it up and give it some shape, just add a jacket. (This one from a Macy’s clearance rack happens to be jersey, so it’s light for hot summer days and comfortable when it’s cooler.)

Besides my ever-present watch, bangles, and hair tie around my wrist (never know when you’ll need it!), the only other piece of jewelry is a statement necklace originally from Express. It breaks up the stripes and adds some character.

Do you like fashion? What’s your clothing philosophy?