Liberty of London....and a failed tutorial.

I had my eye on this little Liberty of London blouse at Target, but knew that it would be a little boxy and not so attractive on my figure. After eyeing the price tag of only $19.99 I thought.....I'll gather under the bust to make an empire waist and then it will be just my style.' Intending to do a DIY tutorial, I started documenting the before and after.

THE BEFORE

A Little Square + Boxy....with No Shape.

{veins on hands appear larger in photos!!}

I ended up with no tutorial. It was harder than I thought. I will share my process though and suggest if you want to give it a try to start with a cotton, single layer, a-line tee instead of a double-lined, with darts, silky as snot, material shirt.

I tried the shirt on inside out...marking the front of the blouse with a straight pin just under my bust after I gathered it with my fingers. Then, I took off the shirt and eyeballed the line from side hem to side hem. I cut a piece of skinny elastic to the length of the width of the blouse from side hem to side hem, while elastic was stretched out fairly tight. I pinned one side and then started baste stitching (widest stitch available) from the pinned side, while stretching elastic, until I got to the other side....following pins I had marked for my line. I tried the blouse on with the baste stitch and after deciding that it worked, I restitched the line, again stretching the elastic, with a regular stitch. And, voila....a gathered empire waist blouse.

THE AFTER

{did you notice Dave in the background making faces? this was what prompted the dip and kiss that Kaia caught on camera for one of my earlier posts!}

A CLOSE-UP

A Little More Fitted....Emphasizing All the Right Places for Me!

Also, after sewing I decided to step out of my comfort zone just a bit and I pulled the bright blue cardigan from my closet and chose to add some color! Sorry, the tutorial didn't work out. But glad the project did!!