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Thursday, June 25, 2009

A Shirring Success

I tried to make a shirred top several weeks ago... but something went horribly wrong. It was so small I couldn't get it over my shoulders. Not going to work.

I tried again a few nights ago... success!

Shirred Top

I browsed a few different blogs and gathered a few tips on how to shirr and went from there. Basically... shirring will make your fabric shrink up to about half the original length. Double the circumference of your chest, shirr it, and marvel!

This blouse should probably have straps to help keep it in place... but I ran out of fabric. It slips a bit if worn on it's own, but layered over a tank top it's just perfect.

SIP: Day 6

Unfortunately, because the gathered bit of the top is twice the circumference of my chest... the free flowing part of the top is kinda... well, tent-like. You could easily wear this shirt as maternity gear seeing as you could hide a full grown child under there. I experimented with some amateur shaping techniques and chopped out about 3 inches on each side. It helped quite a bit.

This makes top #2 for my "I'm going to sew all my own clothes this summer!" challenge.

4 comments:

Wendy said...

Wow, that looks difficult. I've never had occasion to try shirring, but maybe I will sometime. I like your hair!

Jill said...

You could make Winona a little shirred dress! It's actually very easy... it's just sewing a straight line with thread on the needle and elastic thread on the bobbin! Magic!

jana said...

where did you get the pattern?

Jill said...

I made it up. Cut 2 rectangles double the circumference of your chest x about 20". Sew the side seams, hem and shirr the top, hem the bottom, shape the sides. Easy!