Tutorial: Bow & Whimsy Tank Top

You might remember few weeks ago I showed you my "A Bow and Whimsy Tank Top" in another post. 

Well, that same week I also shared a tutorial for the blouse over at a blog called Sunny Vanilla.
 

But just in case you missed it, today I thought I'd share the tutorial here at Crafty Critique.  You can follow me after the jump for the how-to.  Enjoy and let me know if you have any questions! :)

Refashion: Men's Dress Shirt to Sleeveless Blouse

Ta-da!  I told you I'd be back with this shirt refashion today!  Anyway, I made this top using this tutorial, except, of course, I made it big people size instead of child size.  :) 

Tyler donated a button-up shirt that didn't fit him anymore and I cut it up using a sleeveless blouse of mine as a pattern.  It does pucker a little bit around the bust, so if you try and make this top I suggest cutting it a little larger than needed so you can add darts.

Notice the slight puckering near the arm holes?

Anyway, I kept the same bottom hem as the original shirt, so all I had to do was sew together the sides and the shoulders/neck, plus add bias tape (which I made myself for the first time!) around the arm holes.

I did everything pretty much the same as the tutorial, except that since my shirt was adult sized I didn't have enough fabric leftover for the neck tie.  Sooo...I just happened to have this teal and navy satin fabric that I scooped up at Jo-Ann's for $2 a yard way back when and it matched fabulously.

I think I like the top with the satin tie around the neck better than I would have liked it if the whole shirt were just the navy blue fabric.  I think it gives it the shirt a little surprise factor and femininity.

This top was so easy to make it was ridiculous, and now I have something new I can wear for work that cost me less than $2.  Hooray!

Thanks for reading and happy crafting to ya!

--CC

This post is linked up here.

Tutorial: Sleeveless Bow Top

A lot of people are afraid to try and make clothing or draft their own patterns.  At least, I know I was when I first started sewing!  But a few tutorials of easy projects (like this one or this one) helped me find my bearings and I’m proud to say that I finally feel confident venturing out and making some of my own patterns.  And today I want to help you see that you can draft your own pattern and sew your own clothes, too!  Sooo….

Introducing the Sleeveless Bow Top Tutorial!  It's my first "big girl" tutorial, so bear with me (and email me if it doesn't make any sense!).

I modeled the Sleeveless Bow Top after this top I saw for sale online recently.   It’s a cute, comfortable top to finish out the summer with, and might even be great under a cardigan for the fall.  And the good news is it's made a lot like a pillowcase top so it’s just about one of the easiest garments you can sew!  I know you can do it, so follow me after the break to get started.