10 minute Shirt to Cardigan Refashion

This past weekend was the first weekend in months that we've been together at home as a family so I was finally able to carve out a few minutes of ME time. Over the past few months, my creative outlet and "vow" have been taking the back burner to something much stronger than will power:

I'm verging on the 2nd trimester and hopefully returning to the land of the living. This pregnancy has already felt so much different than with A, and has resulted in an incredible appetite that will surely be additional motivation for some refashioning in the next several months. When I signed my vow, I was not pregnant, but I'm going to stay true for the duration of the contract and make some maternity wear. YAY for gaining weight!!

I have so many shirts that, even before baby, were riding up to my belly button. What made this ok a few years ago? Why did any of us buy things that showed so much skin? Or was it that pants were higher?? Anyway, they are pretty shirts that are otherwise in good condition, and I can't bring myself to take them to Goodwill (I don't want to see anyone else's belly button you know). So I took matters into my own hands and turned this little ditty into a cardigan. Pronto.


There are a million ways to embellish shirts like this. I had lace on hand, but I admit I'm not crazy about it on this shirt. I think lace would have looked much better on a solid shirt instead. I'm working on another one for later with the same concept. Still, the method is easy-peasy and in no-time-flat.


Start with a shirt:

Cut up the middle (I was able to connect the dots on my shirt). I would have probably used tailor's chalk had I not had the dots as my reference points).


First, I pinned the lace on each side of the cut, but I decided later that this was unnecessary and took them out as I sewed. I cut the top edge of the lace (that laid beside the v-neck) in a diagonal, and left the bottom edge a bit longer, wrapped it around the bottom of the cardigan, and then restitched. I did not pre-finish the edges of my cut - but I did use a zig-zag stitch when I sewed the lace down RIGHT AT THE EDGE- I think this reinforced the edges from fraying. Then, I tacked down the outside border of the lace every inch or so, so that it wouldn't be standing straight up but would still have some volume. I also added a hook and eye clasp at the bottom of the V to cover the my tatankas.


Finished product:


Not fantastic, but functional. And I love some lace right now, so be forewarned, I might use it again. Would definitely be a better thing to do on something that was too big (vs too short or tight). Live and learn!