craftygal table - Sew Groovy Sleeves on a Preppy Shirt

Gals first took to funking up their oxfords back in the 1940’s.

Ahhh! The classic Land’s End oxford--"same price since 1986!"

If your attire doesn’t garner enough attention at the show, why not be obnoxious?

Concert Costuming

by Jan

Let's face it--when it comes to summer concerts and festivals, the ideal mix is 1/3 entertainment, 1/3 company, and 1/3 clothing. At craftygal HQ, once the first two ingredients have been established, the next question is always, "So what are you gonna wear?"

Crafting an outfit that fits the event is vital.

Crafting an outfit that fits the event is vital. Taryn and I fretted for days over what to wear to the NIN show, finally settling on basic black. My old friend, Mary Jo, took such pride in her concert attire that she used to travel around with a box of punk rock gear, just in case a last-minute road trip to see the Dead Milkmen arose.

With a slew of peace, love, and music-type festivals on the agenda this year, we thought we'd lend a hand in putting together some funky duds for the occasion. The Un-Straightened Shirt combines two thrift store classics; the preppy oxford shirt and the wild print skirt to create one freaky costume.

Un-Straightened Shirt

Supplies:

Oxford or other button-down shirt (cotton or poly-cotton blends work best)

Mid-calf length skirt with waistband (again, cotton or poly-cotton blends work best)

Seam ripper

Scissors

Pins

Thread

Needle or sewing machine

1. Cut off the sleeves of the shirt, leaving 1/2 inch of fabric past the shoulder seam.

2. Use your seam ripper to remove skirt waistband.

3. Cut the skirt in half making two equal pieces. If there's a zipper or button closure, you'll want to cut along either side of the split to remove the closure. If there's a seam along the line where you need to cut, just use the seam ripper instead of cutting. The two halves of the skirt will become your new sleeves.

4. Using the sleeves you cut off the shirt as a guide, trim the length of the new shirtsleeves. Any trimming should be done from the raw end of the sleeve. You'll be attaching the raw end of the sleeves to the armhole on the shirt and the hemmed end will become the cuff. You may want to make the sleeves a little longer for extra flowing appearance. Make sure to leave an extra inch of fabric for hemming and attaching the sleeves.

5. Pin down 1/2 inch of the raw end of one sleeve and sew to create a hem. Repeat on the other sleeve. This will help to prevent fraying.

6. Pin one sleeve together, inside out and lengthwise. This will form a sleeve-like tube. Sew it together. Repeat with the other sleeve.

7. Now you're ready to attach those sleeves! You'll need to pin the outer side of the sleeve to the outer side of the shirt, attaching the new sleeve to the remnant of the old sleeve. Line up the new sleeve's seam with the underarm seam of the shirt. The new sleeve is likely to be wider than the old sleeve was, so you'll need to make some artful tucks on the top of the sleeve in order to make it fit. Once the sleeve is pinned in place, sew it on and then repeat with the other sleeve.

Now slip on that festive attire and you’re off to the concert. Don’t forget the tickets!