As an avid recycler (we even compost our food waste! In a city! For Reals!) and worrier about my carbon footprint, I’ve been inspired recently by all of the refashioning and upcyling happening over at Burda Style. There are some amazing things going down, folks, you should check out what some very talented people are doing with thrifted finds or the contents of their own closets. Grosgrain has this great series, Thrift Store Thursday, it’s fantastic. And don’t even get me started about her unreal Embellish Your Knits month. It was like Suzan-Lori Parks’ 365/365 but with SWEATERS. It boggles the mind.
So I wanted to refashion something, anything, really. And I’m lucky, because there are a lot of wonderful tutorials about remaking a men’s long sleeve button down shirt into a cute women’s summer top. And I’m REALLY lucky because my father is a snazzy dresser and has so very many shirts and therefore could agree to give me some of his cast offs.
Following a tutorial posted on Madebylex, I came out with this, my first effort in Men’s Shirt Refashioning:
It’s a little Wizard of Oz, isn’t it?
A close up
I didn’t have enough fabric left after making all the ruffles to make the belt, so I used a ribbon. It’s worth it. I love ruffles.
Ruffles!
I love this project, because I love the idea of remaking things. I like this shirt, and I know I will wear it once summer comes around. The only issue is that it tends to be rather shapeless, the waist is only defined by the ribbon belt, so it’s a bit baggy, and very comfortable, but not the most flattering thing ever. For my next refashion I’m going to use waist tucks and darts and see if that gives it a more feminine shape.
This is me in Redding Terminal Market, which is better then Oz on so many levels.
Struggle Sews a Straight Seam 
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