Snip Snip

I was admiring the lovely Vix's kimono-esque jacket that she made from a scarf and that got me to thinking about the pleasures and benefits of knowing your way around a needle and thread.  I've been sewing clothes for myself since I was a teenager.  I focus most of that energy into knitting now.  Take a peek at my etsy shop if you're interested in seeing my design work.  But I still sit down at the machine for costume making (definitely a topic for a future post) and mending.  I am constantly amazed by the really great clothes I find at thrift stores that seem to have been cast off just for want of a new button or a minor repair.  Being able to sew also means I can buy clothes that need a little altering to better fit or suit my body, which brings me to the topic of this post!

After 3 very mild summers here it looks like we're in for a fairly hot one this year and that has me scrambling for light weight clothes.  I tend to wilt in the heat and need light airy clothes if I plan on doing anything besides lounging in front of a fan all day. Today I found this lovely cotton/silk blend shirt.  It totally fit the bill; nice color that I like and goes with other items in my closet, breathable natural fibers, thin floaty fabric, loose open neckline, loose fit through the torso, and... gatherers at the bottom.  Oh bother!  That last one is a total non-starter for me.  Oh, but the fabric feels really good and it's marked half off too.

So I took a closer look and realized that it would be a no-brainer to remove the elastic sewn in at the hem then iron the fabric flat again.  And that's just what I did!  

Ta-Da!  (Please excuse the grainy picture.) It's not the most form-fitting or body flattering top I own but that's really the point.  It's loose, comfortable, and will help me stay cool this summer.  So for $2.50 and half an hour of simple work, I have a fine addition to my summer wardrobe.