Refashion Runway 2, Week 1: Plaid

For those of you just joining our program, I'm a competitor on Season 2 of Refashion Runway, a friendly sewing competition hosted by the Renegade Seamstress. After you check out my project below, visit her blog to see the other contestants' entries and vote for your favorite!

I must admit, I struggled with this one. When you've been heavy for most of your adult life, it's hard to shake the anti-plaid attitude. But it looks so cute in all the magazines and on the runways recently, so let's give it a whirl!

I scoured the thrift store last weekend for something - anything - that would inspire me. I mean, this is the first challenge. I'd really like to not suck on the first challenge. It only took a few hours of brainstorming for it to occur me to check my husband's closet for plaid shirts he never wears anymore. And that's where I scored this puppy.

Sure, it's way too big on me, but look at those colors! So lovely and autumnal! Navy and olive green with a thin stripe of deep cranberry. The first step to feminization was to remove the pocket, sleeves, and yoke.

Then I cut my back piece from the front, using an existing well-fitting top as a stencil.

Then I cut the front piece from the back, mirroring the shape of the back, but flaring out toward the top and making it a few inches taller. You'll see why later.

I hemmed the top edges of both the front and back. I evened snipped the laundering tag from the old collar and reattached it because, you know, I'm a teensy bit OCD.

 

Then I sewed my side seams.

When it was time to sew the shoulder seams, I folded the top of the front piece down a couple inches, toward the wrong side. Then I pinned and sewed at an angle to follow the natural slope of my shoulders.

I added some bust darts and waist darts for a more fitted top.

To encase the raw edges of my side seams, I folded each flap of seam allowance toward the center and then sewed the folds together.

From the amputated sleeves of the original shirt, I cut two strips about 2 inches wide and an inch longer than the circumference of my armholes. I joined the ends of each strip to form two loops and pressed my seam.

I carefully pinned and sewed each loop to the inside of my armholes.

Then I flipped them out and gave them a good press.

Two folds and some pins later, I've got a pretty sweet armhole binding!

One more trip under the needle and then the iron, and it's complete!

It's gonna see way more daylight now than it ever would've in the deepest recesses of my husband's closet.

So now that you've seen my entry, go have a look at what the other contestants have done and cast your vote here!