Sharon Sews

Even though I am still eagerly awaiting my copy of the book One Yard Wonders , I knew I could still sew something from the book. As long as I choose one of the two projects I submitted that is. :-) Ta-da! May I present the OYW 30 minute cami turned lace tunic. ( I'm not sure if that's what it's called in the book or not, but 30 minute cami was the working title. ) This tunic is what I had planned to wear if I had been able to attend the release party. With a jacket of course. I mean c'mon, it's November --- and chilly. The fabric is a rayon lace purchased a few years ago from Fabric Mart Fabrics . It was marked dry clean only but I tossed it in the washer on a delicate cycle to see what would happen. The washing made it very soft and flowy. The lining is a silk jersey knit chosen for the color - not so great against my face, but perfect for lining this tunic. I submitted the simple cami project remembering how much I loved sewing and wearing those types of t...

Near the beginning of the summer season, I saw an adorable menswear top at Anthropologie. It was a simple strapless cami with an elastic waist and ruffled edge. When I saw the price of the top (originally $68, now marked down to $29.95) I immediately thought that a similar strapless cami inspired by the design could easily---and more economically---be sewn using a men's dress shirt. So here you go. A super quick tutorial on how to refashion a men's shirt into a cami. One man's dress shirt + elastic + bias tape + thread + a few hours = ruffled strapless cami. Begin with a men's button front, long sleeve dress shirt. Best to choose a size L or larger. Lay the shirt on a flat cutting surface. Draw a horizontal line from underarm to underarm. Cut the shirt along the line you just drew. If your shirt had a breast pocket, carefully remove the remainder of the pocket. Don't worry if a bit of the stitching lines still show as it will be covered by the...