Altered Dress Shirt Into a Summer Top

I have several dress shirts in my closet that I used to wear as jackets over camisoles or T-shirts. Some of them I haven't worn in over a year, so I decided they either needed to go, or they needed a transformation. Since I'm pretty frugal, transformation won out. I altered them into summer tops.

Approximate Time: 2 hours

Supplies:

• dress shirt (It is better if it is slightly over-sized and has no shaping darts.)
• scissors
• tank top
• ruler
• yardstick
• bias tape
• straight pins
• sewing machine
• iron
• safety pin

Instructions:

1. Lay the shirt on your work surface with the front side facing up.
    

2. Cut off the sleeves of the shirt at the seams.
   
    

3. Lay a tank top on the front of the shirt. Match the bottom of the tank's armholes with the bottom of the dress shirt's armholes. The top of the dress shirt may extend above the shoulders of the tank.
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4. Measure up 2 inches from the center front of the tank top. Horizontally lay a yardstick across the shirt's front at this measurement.
    

5. Make a pen mark on each where the yardstick rests. Remove the tank top from under the yardstick. Using the yardstick as a straight edge, draw a line across the shirt to connect the marks. Cut along the line through both layers of the shirt.

6. Measure around each of the cut armholes. Cut two lengths of bias tape using these measurements.
   Pin each bias tape length to the outside of the armholes with the right sides facing. Sew the tape to the armholes using a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

7. Trim the seams as close to the stitching as possible. Fold the bias tape to the inside of the shirt. Press and pin the tape. Sew the pinned tape 1/4-inch from the edge of the armholes.
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8. Sew a zigzag stitch along the raw edges on both the front and back, top edges of the shirt.

9. Fold 1 inch of the top edges to the wrong side of the shirt and press. Pin the folds. Sew the folds to create a casing on the front and back of the shirt.
   
    

10. Cut off the cuff from one shirt sleeve and open the sleeve at the seam. Cut four 1-inch wide strips, the length of the sleeve. Place two strips together with the right sides facing. Sew across one short end. Repeat with the remaining strips.
    You will want each sewn strip to measure approximately 36 inches long. Attach additional strips if needed.
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11. Iron the seams of the strip open. Fold each strip in half with the long edges aligned. Iron the fold to crease.
     

12. Open the folded strips. Fold the raw edges of the strips to the center crease and iron. Do not unfold.
    Fold the strips in half again, matching the folds on the long edges.
    Iron and pin the edges together. Sew the pinned long edges. These are your drawstrings.

13. Attach a safety pin to one end of one drawstring. Use the safety pin to guide the drawstring through one casing on the shirt. Pull the drawstring so that it extends evenly from each end of the casing. Insert the remaining drawstring through the other casing in the same way.

Try on the summer top. Bring the ends of the drawstrings over your shoulders. Adjust the drawstrings to fit comfortably and tie into a bow or a knot. Trim the drawstrings if needed.

By Cyndee from Winfield, KS