Welcome! This is a fantastic project, combining creativity with sustainability. Transforming an old, oversized button-down shirt into a stylish, new blouse with ruffled details is a fun and rewarding process. This upcycling project is a great way to give new life to a piece you no longer wear.
This pattern is well-suited for a confident beginner or an intermediate sewer. It involves a few straightforward techniques, including creating ruffles and a new neckline, that result in a beautiful, custom garment.
Materials
Oversized Button-Down Shirt: A men's or oversized women's shirt made of a lightweight fabric like cotton, linen, or a blend. Make sure it's large enough for you to get a comfortable fit and to have extra fabric for the collar ruffles.
Elastic: A 1/4-inch wide strip of elastic for the sleeve cuffs.
Thread: All-purpose thread that matches your fabric.
Basic sewing supplies: Sewing machine, scissors, pins or clips, measuring tape, seam ripper, and an iron.
Key Concepts: Deconstruction and Measurement
The first step in any upcycling project is careful deconstruction.
Deconstruct: Using a seam ripper, carefully remove the collar from the neckline. If the shirt has a pocket you don't want, you can remove it as well.
Measure: Before you cut, measure yourself. You'll need your bust circumference, your bicep circumference, and the length you want the new sleeves to be.
Sewing Instructions
Note: Use a 1/2-inch seam allowance throughout the pattern unless otherwise noted.
Step 1: Create the New Neckline
Take the shirt you've deconstructed. You will work with the existing collar stand (the strip of fabric that held the collar in place).
If the collar stand is too high or feels too tight, you can trim it down slightly.
Cut two strips of fabric from a discarded part of the shirt (like the long sleeves). The strips should be long enough to go around the entire new collar (you may need to join two pieces) and approximately 3 inches wide.
Follow the instructions in the "Perfect Ruffle" pattern to create a ruffle using your two fabric strips. Aim for a ruffle ratio of at least 1.5x the length of your collar stand.
Step 2: Attach the Ruffled Collar
Pin one of your prepared ruffles to the neckline of the shirt, right sides together. The ruffle's gathering stitches should be facing the raw edge of the neckline. Pin it all the way around, from the top button down to the bottom.
Sew the ruffle to the neckline. Go slowly, smoothing out the gathers as you go.
Once the ruffle is attached, take the second ruffle. Pin it to the other side of the neckline, right sides together, and sew it on. This creates a full, beautiful ruffle that extends from the neckline to the center front.
Press the seams neatly and topstitch along the collar stand to keep the ruffles facing outward.
Step 3: Shorten and Ruffle the Sleeves
Put on the shirt and mark the desired length for your new sleeves. They will likely be puff sleeves, so they should hit above the elbow. Add 1 inch for a hem.
Cut the sleeves at your marked length.
Adjust your machine to a long stitch length. Sew two parallel lines of gathering stitches along the bottom raw edge of the sleeves.
Take your elastic. Cut two pieces of elastic, each long enough to go comfortably around your upper arm (bicep).
Gently pull the bobbin threads of the gathering stitches to create a ruffle on the sleeve cuff. Gather it until the width of the ruffle matches the width of your elastic.
Pin the elastic to the wrong side of the ruffled sleeve cuff. Sew with a zigzag stitch, stretching the elastic as you go so that it matches the length of the fabric. The ruffles will snap into place as you sew.
Step 4: Shape the Blouse Body
Turn the shirt inside out. Try it on and pin the side seams to create a more fitted, flattering silhouette. Aim to take it in from the armpit down to the hem.
Carefully remove the shirt, and sew along your pinned lines.
Trim the excess fabric from the seam allowance, and finish with a zigzag stitch or a serger to prevent fraying.
Step 5: Final Finishing Touches
Trim any excess threads.
Give the entire blouse a final press with a warm iron. Pay special attention to the new seams and the ruffles to ensure they lie flat and smooth.
Your new, upcycled ruffled blouse is now complete!
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