My local mom-and-pop sew/vac shop was having a sale on fabric, and I happened to wander into there in the final day of the sale. I had purchased some African prints from the shop before and found they had even more and they were 50% off. I ended up purchasing a couple of yards of several prints.
Of these beautiful prints, I found this magnificent batik print cotton. It was so thin and crisp and vibrant that I had to bring it home. Initially, I was only thinking of making an accessory with it. However the more I looked at it I realized that I had some burnt orange colored shorts that this would paired excellently with.
I also knew that I wanted to give this shirt a little more visual interest, so I decided to play up the sleeves, make a tassel for the zip closure, and make a decorative hem.
I drafted a simple boxy midriff top, experimented with sleeve draping, and came up with this geometric shape that can be worn in several different ways. I added a scoop neckline, which is not something I typically wear. I also added a zipper to the back. It wasn't necessary; however I wanted to add the tassel, and I hate the hassle of getting makeup on EVERY.SINGLE.THING that I wear. So the zipper opening will help with ease of use.
I bought a bunch of crochet spools awhile ago, though I don't crochet at all. I forget my original intent, but the thread does wonderfully for all sorts of sewing needs. I purchased several colors when Hobby Lobby had a sale on them. At any rate, I used it and a few jewelry findings and beads to fashion myself a tassel for the back. I think it complements the look fairly well.
To tie it all together (no pun intended,) I used the same crochet thread in my overlocker/serger and finished the hems. I've used crochet thread to finish this way for several garments, and it never disappoints me. It gives a hand finished look without actually having to go through the trouble of spending hours looking up tutorials. I also feel that it enhances the print on the fabric as well.
Thank you for stopping by!
