Turn a 3 Dollar Thrift Into a Vintage Blouse

Tools and materials:

• Blouse
• Seam ripper
• Scissors
• Pins
• Thread
• Sewing machine

Create your shape 

The first thing I did was use a seam ripper to detach the sleeves from the body. This will leave us with two big pieces of fabric. I picked the seam until the underarm point, leaving me every bit of seam allowance possible for my hip area. Next, I am going to pin the fabric to the shape I like and use some scissors to cut out the shape of my shirt's body. 

Get creative 

Find some matching thread and sew along the edges of the pins you placed. If you can, try the shirt on after sewing the waist and underarms to make sure your fabric fits, and then continue to sew the hips. At this point, the basic construction of the shirt should be done and it is time to decorate. Here is where I had to get a little creative and find a style that is both interesting, true to the ’20s, and still possible with the pieces I have left. 

Make the necktie 

To make the necktie, I first continued with the seam ripper to separate all my pieces of fabric. Next, I placed the matching pieces right sides together, pinned them down, and sewed them together at the edge to make one long piece of fabric. Then, I folded the fabric in half (the long way) to make a tube, pinned, and sewed again. Repeat this until you have two matching pieces. 

To finish this vintage blouse refashion, pin the pieces of fabric you sewed to the shoulders of your top and then sew them down with a nice finish. Finally, tie a nice knot with the straps and let the necktie drape over your chest. Add a belt around your waist and some cute accessories and you’re ready for a 20’s inspired night out!