White Shirt Refashion

My lovely mother-in-law picked up a size 10 white shirt from the op-shop for me. It was just my size and looked just like this.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="639" caption="White Shirt"][/caption]

But it's a little boring. And a little too office-ey? And I don't generally wear shirts like these. However, I had an idea brewing at the back of my mind to refashion it into something else.

I decided to cut off the sleeve and the midriff section.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="639" caption="Measuring the underbust"][/caption]

I had to determine how high the underbust line was.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="639" caption="Measuring the sleeve"][/caption]

I made a mark at the sleeve at the same height as the underbust line.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="639" caption="Ouch!"][/caption]

I then proceeded to cut the sleeve and the midriff off at the marks. My mum wasn't convinced of the soundness of this-seemed a perfectly fine shirt to ruin. But I forged ahead.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="639" caption="The slashed and unrescuable shirt."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="639" caption="Replacing the cut sections with wide strips of black stretch material."][/caption]

I intended to replace the lower bodice with black stretch fabric that I got from the op-shop, as well as make cuffs from the same material as the sleeve. I measured around my waist and cut a strip of fabric 2/3 my waist measurement in width, and twice the original cut-off bodice length. This is because I want a double fold of stretch black material to go around the my abdomen. I cut cuffs also 2/3 my arm measurement, and about 5 inches in lengh, which again will be doubled so that I have a double fold cuff.

I didn't show the steps here, but I overlocked the edges of the white shirt at the sleeves and the bodice, and sewed the stretch material onto it.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="639" caption="Voila!"][/caption]

My mum was impressed and conceded that I was right. Wyld Man loves this shirt and I wore it to the Little Wyld Man's christening.