Vest from Flannel Shirt

It's a rainy, quiet night here in Texas... we might even get a freeze this week! I swear winter is refusing to come this year... boo. I love the cold! Probably because we don't see much of it! It snowed a little last year (and by a little, I mean an teeny-tiny, itty-bitty amount that, if you live somewhere where it actually snows, you'd laugh at how excited I was!) which means this year we probably won't even see much sleet. Oh well... at least that means my birthday trip with my best friend won't be interrupted.

Anyway, it's a perfect night to finish my latest little project!

I found this flannel shirt at a thrift shop for a few bucks the other day. It was a bit too big in the body, but the sleeves were too short. So I decided I'd give it a second life.

First, I removed the pockets, which were way too high up, & cut off the sleeves. They didn't go to waste... Lolah is enjoying them. =)


I then measured from the inside seam to where I wanted my new seam, & pinned all the way down, making sure to line up the shoulder seam & bottom hem.

I played connect the dots & chalked a line connecting all of my pins.

Then I sewed my new hem. I don't have a double needle, so I sewed my desired seam first, then a reinforcement seam 1/4" outside of that seam (this becomes the innermost seam, when the shirt is turned right-side-out.) Better safe than sorry... I'd hate to bust a side seam & not have back-up! I suppose I could have used a zig-zag, but that was an afterthought.

I trimmed off the excess (the old seam allowance) 1/2" from my new seams.

Right side out, I now have a nice new seam =)

I did this for both seams.

I pinned the pockets where I wanted them, & sewed them on.

And now I have a much-better-fitting plaid vest with lower pockets. Just in time for the usual lunch with the in-laws tomorrow!

P.S.- It looks much better on than it does on the hanger, but I was not in much of a modeling mood at 12:30 in the morning =)

And please excuse the ugly curtain on my door! It was there when we moved in, & I haven't gotten around to replacing it... maybe that will be my next project!!