No Midriffs Here!-Refashion

by Thrifty Chic

Hi Everyone!This week I am taking a break from the tropics to bring you this little cutie! I wish you could see the fabric in person. It is a double knit and has a two dimensional look and feel to it up close. It was brand new from my local Goodwill and was begging to be rescued. The only trouble was the length. Even when I was young and fit enough I could never wear something that showed my midriff, and at 54 I certainly “never” would do that. Layers were not the answer either. Believe me I tried it, but it looked like I was a middle aged lady trying to cover up her midriff.

BEFORE

I picked up the top to think it over and the answer came when I found this XXXL oatmeal and heather grey basic T. I initially looked for a heather grey T but there are sooooo many shades of heather, there was not one suitable one to be found.

This is what I came up with, but it wasn’t as easy as it looks. Working with stripes can be tricky, and if you want a professional look there are things to consider. I will explain more in the tutorial below.

AFTER

I love how it turned out! The top was cut using my basic T-shirt pattern as a guide. (AKA “One Pattern Many Looks”) While this top does not take a very striking editorial picture, it is still fabulous due to the quality and texture of the materials.

Following is the tutorial and some helpful tips working with stripes:

Step 1

When you pick a stripe double check that it is laid out straight to begin with. This picture shows just how “Off” the stripe was. As you can see, I had to cut open the sides and shoulders open just to match it up. Notice I did not cut through the neckline until I was sure what I wanted to do. You also want to check the side seams. Ask, do I want them to match? Sometimes unmatched side seams are a dead giveaway for a hastily done project. I wanted to match the side seams and because the front was crooked, it was not possible.

Step 2

As my little sketch shows, this was my first plan. It would have allowed me to keep the original hems, but because of the stripe problem, things had to change.

Step 3

After I cut the panels, (using my trusty pattern) I pinned them together. You can see here that in order to get the sides to match I will have to re-cut the back armhole and neckline.