Do you ever create something that just isn’t for you, still want to keep but will never wear?
Such was the case with this brilliant but frumpy 1960’s bowling shirt I inherited from Tante Uschi:
That beauty sat in my stash for 2 whole years before I transformed it into this fun little dress:
adorable, but as it wasn’t something that I would actually have occasion to wear, I refashioned it again into this:
a stylin’ cropped blouse that I absolutely love!
Here’s the tutes for BOTH groovy transformations so snag a too-big vintage button down and get making!
Chop off the sleeves of the shirt at the seam.
Grab a dress (or long top) with your ideal width, lay it on top of the too big shirt and use it as a template to mark the underarm and side seam areas on the shirt.
Stitch your new side seams following your pins/marks.
Chop off the excess fabric and zigzag over the seam for extra strength and to help prevent fraying.
Hem or bind the newly shrunken armholes.
Stitch the bottom of the shirt closed under the last button.
Snag a tube of fabric for the skirt of your dress (or simply use an existing skirt).
I chopped an old polyester dress lining to my desired length.
Pin the tube in pleats to the bottom of the shirt with the raw edge of the fabric facing the inside of the shirt and stitch them together.
Try it on and see if you like it, if not refashion it into a fab top in 2 steps:
Mark and chop the shirt to your desired length.
Hem or bind the raw edge.
Dig your awesome new top!
Here’s another peek at all 3 versions of my double refashioned vintage bowling shirt:
Transform your entire wardrobe for pennies with my groovy CoaR tutorial E-book collections right here:
I know what you mean, when something is perfectly lovely and fits fine, but you just don’t wear it. The dress was good, but the shirt seems more you.
Absolutely correct + the shirt is fab for layering too!
Amazing idea! I love how your cropped blouse turned out.
Cheers! It’s most certainly a wardrobe fave 😀
Phew, thank goodness you hacked the original. I am a fan of 1920s dropped waist frocks, your refashions are such an improvement.
Cheers Karen, the dress was super cute but I’ll get loads more wear out of the blouse 😉