tunic

Hi Everyone!

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I hope everyone is doing well this week. My family and I survived the torrential rains (Yuk! but we needed it). Now report cards (Double yuk!) and Spring Break (YAY!) are just around the corner! I am planning to have a real sew fest while on vacation, then rest up for the remainder of the school year.

I have not had much free time this last week so that is why my post is a bit tardy. Not to fear though, I have an offering for you now. This beautiful maxi (see below) might have been just the thing in my twenties and early thirties, but I don’t wear a bikini top ANYTHING these days. I am all for a cute dress, but I do like more of a sleeve and a less revealing neckline. Besides, I spend the majority of my week at work and I need tons of cute top choices for jeans.

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Here is the after…

This style is totally work appropriate, jean friendly, and simple. Remember, I am not one for fussy details. In this case the print does all of the talking and fussy details are not neccessary. I am also a border print junkie so this print is me all the way!

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Oh Yes! I made the necklace too… This one came from bits of chain from broken jewelry, beads from my collection, and a very ugly over-sized earring. Now it looks great as a necklace.

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Here I am huddling under the patio cover to hide from the rain. So hopefully you’ll forgive the picture quality. I can also see this styled with sandals and capri pants for summer. What do you think?

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Following is the tutorial:

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Step 1) I cut off the bikini top and a few inches from the hem. Always check the hem on maxi thrift purchases. They drag on the ground and can be quite ragged.

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Step 2) I chose my pattern that has made 9 past looks. All I had to do was add some length to the body and straighten the hem. When you cut a border pattern you must study it to be sure you place it symmetrically. I always cut the front, back and sleeves seperate in a single layer to make sure I match things up perfectly. Never cut border prints on the double.

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Step 3) Sew the side seams and set in the sleeves (not pictured)

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Step 4) Add bias tape binding around the neckline and sleeve hems. Stitch in the ditch to finish.

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Step 5) 1″ topstich the bottom hem.

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Before I go, I would like to give you the links to my friend Beth Huntington. She is the genius behind “Refashion Runway.” You may remember I was a contestant for season 1. Last week, BurdaStyle asked her to teach a live Web Seminar on refashioning on March 31. I will be there and I hope you will be too. She is so inspirational and a wonderful person as well. There is always something new to learn!

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Here is the link to thecourse description and registration:

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http://register.burdastyle.com/Course?CourseId=9000-51

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In addition, this is the link to her post about the seminar:

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http://chicenvelopements.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/mom-burdastyle-is-on-the-phone-for-you/

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You will not be sorry.  She is awesome!

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Well that’s it for this week.

As always, I would love to hear what you think.

’til then…

Love Ya,

Mary

Hi Everyone,

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I know I promised you Erdem, but that will have to wait one more week. I am still in the throes of moving and my studio is a wreck! But wait!!!I already had this refashion ready but forgot about it!

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It all started with this 3x beauty which appeared to have never been worn. It was a nice piece from “The Black and White Market,” and I am sure the original owner paid a handsome sum for it. As for me, I paid $5.99 for all of that beautiful print!

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It was only a simple resizing job but I think I can pass along some valuable tips on how to downsize these plus size treasures. You can see I have paired the tunic with leggings and ballet flats. This is totally comfortable, chic, and work appropriate for me. Sorry for the blurry picture, but I had a hard time stopping long enough to get it taken. This was my first day back to work after the holiday.

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Here is my tutorial and tips:

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1) (not pictured) Remove the sleeves

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2) When resizing a plus size top, the armhole and neckline are both going to be too big. Here you can see how to solve both problems at once by taking off width at the shoulder seam.

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3) The next step was to take in the desired amount from the side seams.

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4) I slimmed down the sleeves to fit the new armhole and put it all back together.

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I am really happy with this piece. Everyone just loves the striking print! What treasures have you found lately? I’d love to hear from you!

’til Later…

Love Ya,

Mary