Before & After: Craft Fail, Redemption & a Tutorial

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Have any of you noticed how horrible I am at taking half-decent “before” pictures? I should be so ashamed. Then again, a bad “before” photo always makes the “after” photo look so much better.

before-1

Ew Gross Before Picture

I’ve had this shirt forever and I swear the neckline just gets lower and lower every time I wear it. Last time I wore it, I thought how great it would be if I did a simple refashion to bring up the neckline. I was going to braid an intricate insert, then I got lazy and decided a cowel neck could be cooler. NOPE. Not at all. It looked like I was wearing a knotted dickie and that put me in a pretty sour mood. I was just about to throw in the towel and proclaim the shirt dead, then my better half (aka Chris) reminded me that there was such a thing as a seam ripper and not all was lost.

after-1

Aw cute After Picture

Instead of butchering another neckline I decided to re-enter my comfort zone and refashion the shirt into a dress for Penelope. Isn’t Penelope adorable? These sorts of refashions are a lot of fun, and not very time-consuming. I think I like that shirt so much better on Penelope.

screen-shot-2009-11-19-at-110158-pmHere’s a little preview of the tutorial

I think it’s high time I give you a tutorial on how to do it. Yeah, there are a million other tutorials out there on this type of thing, but this is my take on it. Since natural light is pretty rare around these parts, I thought I’d illustrate each step instead. Let’s be honest, I was really just looking for an excuse to use my new Wacom tablet. Please enjoy the free tutorial. Click on the button below to download.

download here

This tutorial is free for personal use. It cannot be distributed without my written consent. All content is original and exclusive to IS•LY.

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    1. Ceci says:

      This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for! I have a million options for shirts too… either mine or my husbands. Shh… don’t tell him… but I spied a nice gray shirt in his closet that I could use. He he.

      Any tips for running knits through a machine?

      Thanks again Melissa!!! You do such nice work.
      Ceci

    2. Kami says:

      Darling! This makes me want a sewing machine.

    3. you do the best freaking tutorials

    4. Melissa, you’re so crafty! I’ll have to remember to go to you when I have a little girl to dress up! :)

    5. uwsols.com says:

      Dont cast your pearls before swine

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