Sunday, June 28, 2015

Sunday Sew-Day: Lace and Flowers

In preparation for last week's Thrift Style Thursday, I was pulling out all the orange and yellow in my closet when I came across this guy - yet another lacy summer top I will probably never wear since I refuse to wear layers in the Texas heat.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - BeforeLace & Flowers Tank Top - Before

It came from a clothes swap last year, and upon further inspection, had a bit of damage to the lace anyway. The tag was missing, but it feels like it could be 100% cotton. Now what could I pair with this coral lace to make a single-layer summer garment?

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - Before

Oh, I know! How about this little, gauzy cotton, floral dress I thrifted for our Hawaii trip a couple years ago. One of the little plastic rings on the back of the straps broke while we were on vacation, and I had to MacGyver it with a knitting stitch marker from my notions bag. Also, the elastic back panel was beginning to lose its elasticity. With its splashes of coral in the floral pattern, this dress seemed the perfect candidate for my coral lace tank refashion.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - BeforeLace & Flowers Tank Top - Before

I began by cutting off the skirt portion. It had a white cotton lining that was necessary as a dress but won't be needed for a shirt. So I put that aside for another day.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - In Progress

Then I took in one side, giving it a slight A-line shape to fit my bust at the top and my hips at the bottom. I sewed my line of stitches with the skirt/shirt right-side-out, then trimmed the fabric as close as possible to the seam. I even stuck the laundering tag in there while I sewed, so it would be in place for the next step.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - In ProgressLace & Flowers Tank Top - In Progress

I turned the whole thing inside-out, pressed my first seam, and then sewed the second line of stitches to complete my French seam and encase the raw edges.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - In Progress

Once I had the body of my shirt to size, it needed straps. So I put the tank on Rosy and pinned the floral fabric over it where I wanted it. Then I flipped the floral fabric upward and sewed them together across the front and the racerback.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - In Progress

Then I cut off the extra lace, and everything got folded over and top-stitched, plus hemming the edges of the floral fabric where it was not attached to the lace.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - In ProgressLace & Flowers Tank Top - In Progress

The straps on the tank were a bit too long, revealing the sides of my bra. Since I didn't want to mess with cutting the lace and risk it unraveling, I instead picked out the original shoulder seams...

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - In Progress

...then I overlapped the ends and stitched them together in rectangles, taking away length while also adding stability.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - In ProgressLace & Flowers Tank Top - In Progress

At this point, I thought I was finished, but when I tried it on, the tunic length I was going for was just not very flattering. So I rolled the bottom hem up a few times and re-hemmed it. Rolling it up instead of cutting and re-hemming will help keep a little weight at the bottom so the gauzy fabric will drape nicely.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - In Progress

After a final press, I really was finished this time!

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - After

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - After

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - After

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - After

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - After

The thin cotton fabric is absolutely perfect for this weather! I just might have to wear this new top every day for the next couple months.

Lace & Flowers Tank Top - Before & After

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