This past couple of weeks has been manic what with one thing and another. I haven’t been getting much sewing done at all. So this week I eased back into my sewing groove with a quick and simple refashion.
This dress has been in my refashion pile for eons. Like, 2 years! It was made from a beautiful aubergine shade of purple in a drapey brushed cotton. When deciding on items to refashion, I tend to look past the garment itself to the quality and quantity of fabric that there is to work with. This dress had an ankle length gathered skirt with no darts or such like. So once I had removed the skirt from the bodice, and removed the button placket down the centre, I was left with a really good amount of fabric to work with. One large rectangle from the back of the skirt; and 2 smaller rectangles harvested from the front skirt, cut from either side of the button placket. Out came my trusty kimono tee pattern, and a few minor pattern adjustments later, voila…
After lengthening the pattern slightly and reshaping the hem; I cut the front piece in one from the larger rectangle; then the back piece in two parts from the smaller rectangles. I simply added a CB seam allowance to my pattern, so the “new” top has a centre back seam.
The hem of this top is a “high/low” affair. Scooping down at the back and up at the front. The finished tee was a little plain even for my simple tastes! So I used some leftover scraps to add some little cuffs to the sleeves, finished off with buttons harvested from the original dress. Such a simple thing to do it turns out; (and a quick how to on that to follow later this week) but I think it really finishes this tee off nicely!
Pleased as punch with this one. So comfy to wear and I do love a bit of aubergine (eggplant to those of you across the pond!) Actually I can’t stand aubergine to eat. Bleurgh! But the colour officially rocks!
BTW, my photos, until we get some decent natural light, (in the UK in the winter? Fat chance!) are gonna be fuzzy and pretty crap. Just warnin’ ya!
This is so lovely Portia, that colour is ace on you! I can’t wait for a how-to on the sleeves – it’s such a great finish!
I love the re-fashion version, it looks lovely and so easy to wear to.
Love your kimono tee, both the way it sits and the colour.
I love the colour and drape of this fabric! What a fantastic save- and a rad kimono tee!
Great refashion. Clearly you a girl who can see the wood from the trees.
The colour is wonderful. And may I say that your kimono tee pattern features largely in my wardrobe these days? Many thanks for sharing it.
I love this color on you! And the cuffs are an adorable touch. Beautiful!!
This is beautiful! I love your site, it is really inspiring! I will be going through my old dresses now to see if I can apply this to some of them. 🙂 Also I used your Draft your own Kimono Tee to make a surprise gift for a friend and she absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for sharing! God bless you 🙂