Refashion

Do you sew? If so you may be familiar with the sewing magazine Sew Hip. I picked up the August edition today after I spotted an article featuring a smock top. I've been wanting to make a top like this and had even tried to make my own pattern from an existing top I own but using the pattern in the magazine seemed a much easier option.

The top in the article was refashioned from a skirt, shirt and headscarf. I was going to make mine from scratch but I didn't really have any suitable material then I discovered a long forgotten skirt at the back of the wardrobe.............
Instead of a headscarf which is threaded through the neckline to make the straps I used the fabric belt of a dress. I'm not absolutely happy with how it turned out as the material is a little see through (the skirt had a lining!) but now I know it fits ok I'll make another and choose the fabric more carefully. The top in the magazine also had a waist channel with ribbon threaded to tie at the front and was a little longer than mine. I'm not sure if I'll make any changes to my orignal other than the fabric - we'll see.

Tip: I traced the pattern from the orignal onto some tissue paper with a Sharpie.

And having seen Julie's post today her fabric brooch would go very well with my refashioned top :)

...........and totally unrelated I thought I'd share these photos of Dracunculus Vulgaris sometimes called a Dragon Lily which grows in my garden. I can understand why it's 'vulgaris' as when in flower is smells like rotting meat to attract flies which act as pollinators. yeeukk!! How can something so exotic looking smell so awful (and believe me it does)? Sadly, or maybe not, the flowers haven't lasted long in this heat. But then I think we've all been wilting in the heat this week........