Shiver me chic

I LOVE me new buried treasure!



I decided there were far too many winter clothes aboard my closet ship and not nearly enough spring tops. That's just not going to sail with this gorgeous weather. So the only logical thing to do for this Cap'n Long Sleeves was to walk the planks!



Cap'n Long Sleeves was originally an incredibly soft top (93% lyocell and 7% spandex) that I got from Banana Republic in the sale section last year. I bought it with every intention of living in it through the winter, but it turns out that the sleeves were a little short on me, it was a tiny bit see-through and a little too warm to wear under anything. In other words, the perfect combination for a re-style!!

I have to admit that my first thought wasn't oooooh this shirt could be some fantastic pirate booty, but I did have a few key elements in mind with my design:

First and foremost, I knew I wanted the mid-bicep sleeves for a spring top. I LOVE how it feels snug on your arm and I think it makes them look elegantly long and slender.






Second, because it was a little see-through, I knew I wanted some decor down the front to not only add texture and dimension to the skirt, but also to hide me buried treasures a little bit more! I run a G-rated ship around here!

That's when I had the idea to cut up the sleeves and add them down the center as layered ruffles! So in right now and so incredibly easy to do!

I simply cut four pieces 4" x 6" out of the sleeves, hemmed them and ruffled them at the 6" end. Then I drew 4 evenly spaced lines down the front of the shirt and sewed each layer on. The trickiest part here was taking care not to snag the fabric, which was more delicate and stretchy than I was used to sewing.

I had a bit of material left over and didn't have to think twice about their destination! The long scraps were perfect for the "wad and sew" flowers that you see in tons of stores right now. In no time at all this conservative long sleeve shirt transformed into what I now fondly refer to as me Shiver Me Chic tee



AAAAARRRR-DORABLE!