26 January 2007

man shirt reconstructed



There is a really great tutorial on Craftster about how to reconstruct a man's shirt into a cap-sleeved blouse. And since my brother had passed a couple of his old shirts on to me for quilting, I grabbed one of those and started cutting it up.



I really enjoyed the freedom of this project—no worries about screwing it up and wasting the fabric. And you get to skip all the tedious bits, like buttonholes and hems.



I followed her instructions exactly, and had really good results. I didn't bother re-hemming it because I like the long tunic-y style. I opened the side seam up to my hip to create a vent and keep the shirt from wrinkling over my caboose.



I wasn't very careful cutting it out and the little pleat in the center back ended up off-center. So I just cut out the seam and resewed it with a gather in the center. I like the feminine touch.

Fun project, and I will definitely make more once the warmer weather returns. If some more man shirts come my way (hint, hint, big bro).

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

cute cute!! not having to do the collar is pretty much awesome. the sleeves turned out so nicely.

Anonymous said...

i read that tutorial awhile back and thought it looked good...your shirt turned out great! still working up the nerve...

Amanda Jean said...

wow, you did a great job on that shirt! I am impressed!!!

Anonymous said...

Amazing transformation. The shirt looks much better now [no offense Julie's big bro]. Maybe I will try this out...the hubby has so many old shirts in the closet!

Anonymous said...

That turned out beautifully. It is very flattering too. I'll have to give it a try!

sulu-design said...

The cap sleeves and the gathering in the back are precious. What an adorable shirt!

Anonymous said...

Julie, this refashion absolutely rocks! Thanks so much for sharing the tutorial. I've got tons of thrifted mens shirts, bought because I loved the fabric. Now, I can actually turn them into something I can wear - not just misc. sewing projects.

Connie said...

i saw this tutorial and i'm so glad you did it. your shirt turned out amazing.

maritza said...

Great job! I love the little gather in the back.

Anonymous said...

omg! this is so kick ass! u know that favorite old navy shirt of mine that i love (w/ the pearl snaps and ribbon accents) but its like 5000 sizes too big?... any interest in a little conversion project? hmmm...

Anonymous said...

wouaou!! génial, merci pour le tuto!! great!! :)

Molly FitzGerald said...

what a wonderful idea-- the transformation is magical! beautiful work.

Anonymous said...

How cool! I have to check out that tutorial. Your shirt turned out really well. I love the added gather in the back!

Anonymous said...

i love this shirt! i am copying you and doing this as soon as possible.

amisha said...

this is fantastic! the sleeves & back are really cute and hurrah for no buttonholes!

Anonymous said...

I've read the tutorial a while ago. But now that I've see yours turned out so nice, I might have to really try it instead of daydreaming about it. Hmmm.. the possiblities abound in the husband's closet.

Anonymous said...

this is the best one i've seen so far...super cute.

Anonymous said...

what a great idea! My hubby has so many shirts that I can transform... great job!

Term Papers said...

I'm actually glad to see all this stuff, to see that this world offers creativity and ideas other than what my lonesome small town provides.

Term paper help said...

I am about to start a blog and your blog gave me much hint how to do it.

Custom Home Detailing said...

This is very nice. We always enjoy learning from you. We will also show the class. Good job.

Mannatech Products said...

Nice job on reconstructing the mens shirt, now you can show off your pipes...;)

Tony Stark said...

I really like the way you write the post and help us with the information. Thank you for sharing this post. Please read my blogs too.
aviano copper protector review
creaclip review
peeps by carbon klean review
photostick reviews
tiki tunes review