I cannot resist those super soft, thin silk shirts at thrift stores! Super boxy with shoulder pads, they are full of possibility to refashion. For this vintage blouse refashion, I slimmed down the shirt and added an accent fabric along the arms. The silk skirt I used as the accent fabric got made over into two other shirt refashions as well – see them all linked here.
Two of my favorite colors, bright pink and leopard! This top is perfect for summer, super breezy and light. If you’re new to refashioning, I have my best tips for sewing refashions here!
Adding a touch of silk for a kimono-esque cap sleeve turned it from frumpy into simple and stylish (I think, at least). If you don’t have a shirt on hand, you can check out my tips for shopping to refashion and upcycle.
Pin this vintage blouse refashion for later, here:
How to refashion a vintage blouse
Supplies
- Tshirt pattern for woven fabrics – I used the Scout Tee pattern from Grainline Studio*
- Clips* (they work better than pins for slippery fabric!)
- Sewing machine
- Iron
- Acrylic quilting ruler*
- Plain base shirt to make over
- Fabric scraps or second garment to use as the sleeve/accent fabric
Steps
1.Chop! Cut up the side seams through the armpit and lay out flat.
2. Match the front and back up evenly; silk is slippery, so I clipped the front and back together so it didn’t move around. I used an existing pattern that I knew fit me and trimmed out the sleeve, and cut in the side seam about an inch.
3. I trimmed the silk into single layer rectangles, using the existing hem as the outer edge. You could also use a double layer folded. Mine was 1 1/2 wide, and matched the length of the arm opening in the top. Mark the middle of the accent with a pin or a snap, and attach it, right sides together, to the bodice. Sew and finish the seam allowance.
4. Turn right side out and top stitch!
5. Put right sides together and sew from armpit to hem, finishing the seam allowance.