05 Oct Doncaster Remake
Will the real homemade blouse please come forward?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
How did you guess? Never mind………
Last year I discovered how much I love wearing sleeveless silk tops. I bought the two above last fall, and I wear them all of the time. The safari print is a St. John and the red giraffe print is an Elisabeth McKay. My “new” top is actually an old Doncaster blouse that I bought at least 15 years ago. It looked like this until a couple of days ago.
I thought I could remake it into the St. John top and got out the scissors.
It’s not as easy as it looks, specifically the fitting – and I never opened the Cal Patch book which I regret. Nonetheless, I like the end result which turned out to be a combination of the two tops, and I’m starting month two with a new silk top – free.
So on to the next, and I’m definitely going to use a pattern!
Bethsews
Posted at 23:01h, 05 OctoberLooks great and I bet you learned alot thru trial-and-error so maybe its ok that Cal Patch stayed shut 🙂 I bet you will get so much wear out of it!!! Can’t wait to see what you do next!
goodbyevalentino
Posted at 07:17h, 07 OctoberThank you, Beth. I learned more than I wanted to learn on this project! I’m pleased with the way it looks but I’ll be relying on fashion tape for the perfect fit…… I still believe I can recreate that St. John top!
prttynpnk
Posted at 08:36h, 06 OctoberI’m always so impressed with re-makes! What a pretty job you did…..
goodbyevalentino
Posted at 07:21h, 07 OctoberThank you so much! The fabric was so pretty that I just wasn’t ready to part with the blouse. If only all of my old favorites could be remade!
designdreamer
Posted at 21:00h, 23 AprilWOW!!!! Just happened to find your blog!!!
Love everything about it. Love your style. Love this remake. You definitely have a larger budget than I do – would have never ever been able to buy Valentino. AND I don’t really have anywhere to wear nice “formal” clothes – I’m a “stay-at-home” mom, AND I live in the desert. But I can still appreciate what you make! I found you thru your Red dress entry on PR, and was so intrigued by your little “no RTW” blurb, I decided start at the beginning. Glad I did. And looking forward to the rest of your entries
PS: I have 3 dds (and a son) 24, 21, and 15!
goodbyevalentino
Posted at 21:57h, 23 AprilWhat a wonderful comment to receive! About my budget…… let’s just say I blew a lot of it on expensive clothes and I was sick of it! Many people overspend no matter what their budget size, and I was certainly one spending way too much on clothes. I have just loved spending this year making clothes for myself, and have learned so much in addition to new sewing skills. Many thanks for stopping by and I’d love to hear from you again 🙂
Andrea
Posted at 20:13h, 22 JuneI just found your blog surfing this evening. I am tired of the ugly ready to wear that is only made for a 22 year old. I want to design my own clothes classic styles with a unique flair, but don’t have the skills. After looking at these pictures, I think I could try this. Did you just cut the sleeves off and use the excess cloth for a facing on the arm holes?
I see you list Mary Jo’s as a source. I live near Mary Jo’s.
goodbyevalentino
Posted at 10:10h, 23 JuneHi Andrea,
Thank you so much for writing! It’s not difficult at all to make your clothes. I wish I had had a pattern for this one because it was tricky. The blouse came with a bias scarf that I used for facings and I used the sleeves for the new neckline. Mary Jo’s is a wonderful sewing store, 1 hour from my home. 🙂