dreamflower (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dreamflower) wrote2013-06-09 02:46 pm
dreamflower) wrote2013-06-09 02:46 pm
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The easiest blouse I've ever made...
Many years ago (back in the late 1980s) I was for a couple of years, an Avon Lady. I finally gave it up because I began to spend more than I made. But one of the wonderful things I got from Avon was a gorgeous scarf--a silky headscarf with a floral motif and a unicorn in one corner. I've been an avid unicorn collector since the 70s, so of course I got it, and then realized there was no way to wear it in which the unicorn could be shown off--whatever way I folded and tied it, it just didn't work out. I was still pleased with just having it, so I folded it up and put it away. The other day, I had it out and unfolded it and looked at it, and had an epiphany. Besides being a scarf, it was also fabric and it wouldn't take much to turn it into a very nice blouse...
Pics behind the cut
Here's the front on my dress dummy. The unicorn shows up splendidly!
Of course, I needed fabric for the back, and I mentally went through my stash; I only needed a 30"x30" square after all, but nothing I had seemed quite the right texture and hand to go with the scarf--so I took a look at some of my other scarves, also put away, and found a beautiful turquoise print that had been a gift one Christmas. And not only was it the perfect size, but like the other scarf, it had a navy blue border.
So here is the back on my dress dummy:
I pin fitted it to see where the seams needed to be, and then decided to sew by hand, because I wanted the smallest possible seams. I used a backstitch just underneath the rolled hems of the scarves, then turned it, pressed and stitched again to make very tiny French seams (they are about 1/8" inch. I left about 3" open at the bottom of each side. I toyed with opening the center to create a little fold back collar at the neck opening, but decided against that. It took me about an hour to make.
Here I am wearing it this morning, just coming home from church!
Pics behind the cut
Here's the front on my dress dummy. The unicorn shows up splendidly!
Of course, I needed fabric for the back, and I mentally went through my stash; I only needed a 30"x30" square after all, but nothing I had seemed quite the right texture and hand to go with the scarf--so I took a look at some of my other scarves, also put away, and found a beautiful turquoise print that had been a gift one Christmas. And not only was it the perfect size, but like the other scarf, it had a navy blue border.
So here is the back on my dress dummy:
I pin fitted it to see where the seams needed to be, and then decided to sew by hand, because I wanted the smallest possible seams. I used a backstitch just underneath the rolled hems of the scarves, then turned it, pressed and stitched again to make very tiny French seams (they are about 1/8" inch. I left about 3" open at the bottom of each side. I toyed with opening the center to create a little fold back collar at the neck opening, but decided against that. It took me about an hour to make.
Here I am wearing it this morning, just coming home from church!
no subject
It's not the first time I've turned something into something else. At least twice I've converted denim shirts into vests.
But I think this was both the easiest and the prettiest such project!