Mad for Plaid

One thing that seems to be back in style this season is plaid. It's everywhere! I even saw a website that said "This season's two greatest hits, Tweed & Plaid!" I thought, If only I could find something that was plaid tweed, it'd be two birds, one stone.  Ultra-trendy. if you will.

Instead, Goodwill sold me this lovely plaid poly-cotton blend, but the colors are fantastic, and it's got darling mother-of-pearl snaps. And it's only about 6 sizes too big.

 I can't give a proper thumbs-up as the length of the sleeves inhibits the movement.

Anyone up for a picnic? 

First of all, I had to get rid of a lot of extra material, lest I have bustle like an early 1900's dress.  Then, I used a strip of elastic to keep the new ruffle in place as well as provide some room for movement. We all know there's nothing worse than a button-up that is too tight and has no movement... it's a popped button, waiting to happen. Especially if your cup runneth over as mine does. 

Helpful hint? I pinned the stretched elastic to a block of wood to make it easier to sew.

Then I stitched up where I had removed the fabric, and was met with a very unsightly bulge-y mess. So, I took that extra material and fashioned a bow... awwww.

It's practically camouflaged, but adorable nonetheless!

THEN... disaster strikes.

I sewed the bottom of the shirt to the back of the bow! It's the equivalent of tucking your skirt into your pantyhose!

Ugh. Rookie Mistake

So after I redid the bow, the shirt looked good, but still kinda mannish. It needed a feminine touch. So I grabbed the lace. ♥

And Voíla... 

my new shirt is born.

The shirt cost $2.96 at Goodwill. 

It took less than 4 hours.

This Project: $2.96

Total Project: $9.67

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