There's a short story behind this project. Friends of mine opened a boutique in New Hope, PA. with some very expensive clothing and accessories. I think the only thing I ever bought regular price was soap because I was just out of my league there. Unfortunately, they closed the shop but it gave folks like me an opportunity to hit up their sale. There was skirt in black and in white that had my eyes on. It was around $200 originally and so on sale, I still spent way more than I normally would have on my "Old Navy" budget and got the white one. The skirt, like most other things off the rack, was too long for me but I didn't have the confidence to hem it. It was worn twice and whenever I walked I just hiked it up. It still got a little muddy.
The skirt was silk with an organza overlay. For years, this skirt had been in my closet doing nothing while I pondered ways of turning it into a wearable item. First I thought about altering it to have a more ragged look but then I decided on saving it for a shirt. I finally did just that. I found a cheap commercial pattern that needed a lot of customizing but eventually I got something I really liked. As a thank you to my mom who bought me a dress form for my birthday six months in advance, I wanted to make this shirt for her and kept the original feel of the silk with overlay foundation.
If you're like me and love to cut up and recycle old clothes, you should check out this great little vidcast on YouTube called Threadbanger.