Life is Beautiful

Motherhood, Sewing, Family

When People Like the Skirt More Than Your DIY Top

~ Etc., Refashion Revision, SEWING

 

 

 

Have you checked out my bow-tie Refashion Revision yet? I thought I would be using the sleeves I cut off from this blouse to make the bow-tie but I had enough fabric from cutting the sides of the bodice to make the bow-tie!

And remind me to not post my DIY with even a cuter piece of clothing like this skirt, people were more interested in this skirt than my DIY top! Many asked if I had made it, where I had got it, comments about how cute the skirt was(with no mention of the DIY top) Hahahaha. It sure is a cute skirt, can’t blame them! I got this skirt from Anthropologie 3 years ago, for those of you I am sure are wondering.

And for the first time in my life, I’ve hired help for getting my house cleaned! Besides the bathrooms, vacuuming, mopping the floor, what do you have them do? Is it okay to have them organize, do laundry/fold laundry, or iron clothes? Is that allowed? Also, do you tip them? I don’t know the etiquette or the rules!

Refashion Revision: Thrifted blouse to a bow-tie blouse DIY

~ Refashion Revision, SEWING

 

Learn how to transform a thrifted blouse to a sleeveless, bow-tie blouse in this step by step tutorial

 

I am so excited to show you my newest Refashion Revision, in partnership with @Dove.

 

If you follow my stories on Instagram, you saw a sneak peek of this project and how hard it was to get myself to finish it. Since last Summer, I have not completed one real refashion project because it felt so intimidating and like such a daunting task. I procrastinated until I couldn’t any longer and finally finished it and it feels so incredible! It turned out exactly to my imagination which helped me get my mojo back and it feels amazing. I can’t wait for the next project! Thank you for sticking around even when I haven’t sewed in over a year, it means so much to me.

Now, let’s look at the before of the transformation. I got this pink button-up blouse from a thrift store in Pasadena for $4, when visiting my sister in California this Summer. I was drawn to the pretty blush pink color and in under 10 seconds of looking at it, I knew I wanted to turn this into a sleek, sleeveless bow-tie top. Let’s see how it turned out – and how I rock those underarms with confidence.

 

BEFORE

 

AFTER

What do you guys think? I wanted a transitional top from Summer to Fall and thought a sleeveless blouse with a bow-tie detail because a sleeveless blouse is perfect under a cardigan or a jacket since there are no bulky, extra material you need to stuff inside your sleeves, and the bow-tie detail adds a pop of personality underneath your cardigan/jacket to make your outfit stand out.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I get paranoid when wearing sleeveless tops! If I want to wear sleeveless, I always have to make sure my underarms are freshly shaved and smelling really nice so I don’t get embarrassed when I have to raise my arms – like waving frantically at a friend I unexpectedly run into across a busy street or in case I have to volunteer as tribute- are the first two things that popped in my head. Once I get dressed, I don’t want to worry about any of that so I can forget about myself and focus on serving others once I am out the door.

I was particularly excited to partner with Dove because I’ve trusted the brand since I was 14 years old with my underarm care (20 years and counting) and while I’m a bit paranoid for sleeveless looks, I can trust I’m in good hands. While I haven’t been one to deviate from my beloved Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant, I received a sample of Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant in the beauty finish variant and quickly converted! Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant has all the care of Dove and goes on instantly dry for a cleaner feel. It provides 48-hour odor and wetness protection with ¼ moisturizers for added skincare benefits, keeping my underarms in great condition to rock all the sleeveless looks I desire (and make).

 

If you’re looking to try out your own sleeveless bow-tie blouse continue reading for the tutorial, and don’t forget the ultimate last step for those sleeveless styles: Dove Dry Spray!

 

 

Sleeveless Bow-tie Blouse DIY Tutorial

Bow-tie blouse refashion

bow-tie blouse DIY

1. Cut the sleeves off.

bow-tie blouse DIY

2. Cut out the shoulder pads, extra fabric on the armholes and the sides of the bodice.

3. Remove the buttons.

4. Hem the armholes and the bottom of the blouse.

5. Sew on new buttons.

6. Cut off the hem at the end of the collar, so we can attach the tie. Cut off the last 4-5 inches on each side of the collar where it starts to widen. Then hem it closed.

7. With the extra fabric from cutting off the sides of the bodice, make two long strips. So connect two pieces to make one long strip, then hem all the edges except for one edge that will attach to the collar.

8. Once you have your two strips, attach it to the end of the collar. And you are done!

 

 

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

large blouse to bow-tie blouse refashion

Here are 3 different ways I styled the blouse for Fall, which one is your favorite?

3 ways to style a blouse

Let me know what you think about my refashion! And now that I got my mojo back, stay tuned for many more Refashion Revisions!

 

 

Pin me, share me, I like to get around!

Anthropologie Tangerine Flicker Dress DIY

~ Refashion Revision, SEWING

 

Hello new and old friends, I am so excited to have you here! I love taking old, outdated clothes and transforming them into new and giving it a new life! I want to inspire people to learn to sew, even the basics so that they can alter their own clothes to make it fit perfectly to the body they have now, and having the clothes conform to their body instead of them trying to conform to that certain clothing size or that certain size pants. I hope you stick around for awhile! You can also find me at @sarahtyau on Instagram where I am the most active.

 

Inspiration: Tangerine Flicker Dress from Anthropologie $358.
I was so close to buying this dress when it was on sale.  Then when they had the extra 50% off of sales during the holiday season, I tried to find one but it was completely sold out.  So I was determined to make it and was about to buy some fabric when I found this dress online.
Very similar right?  You can still purchase the dress here.
*update: it’s now sold out, sorry!
I bought this lace from JoAnn’s. Regular price is $7.99/yard but I used a 50% off coupon. I found the same lace on Etsy, but JoAnn’s is cheaper, even without the coupon(since you pay for shipping on Etsy.)

 

After:
Photos by Jessica Peterson

 

(please disregard my no make-up face, will ya?  I’m trying to get used to this whole getting my DIY pictures done by a professional photographer thing… I feel a bit narcissistic, if you ask me.  I wish there was a way to blot my face out because I just want people to see the DIY project, not me.  So if you get sick of looking at my face(which I sure am), now and in the future, then please just bear with me. 🙂

v

What you’ll need:
– Dress
– Approximately 4-5 yards of lace(buy it here or here-online only shows black but in stores they have beige)
– Sewing machine
– Scissors
– Matching thread to the lace
– Liquid stitch
Directions:
Pin the lace along the dress: on the skirt, the sleeves, and the chest.  Sew the bottom half part of the lace onto the dress and the top curvy, wavy part, use liquid stitch to secure it onto the dress.
Estimated Time: 1.5 hours
Skill Level: a confident beginner
Price: $65
I saved over $300! 😉
You want to see more of my sewing DIY’s? Click here to see more!