DIY Simple Tunic Tutorial

Today's refashion/tutorial started off as the chopped-off skirt from a dress I'm refashioning.

What to do with this prom dress??

Chop it!

And chop again. Save the top bit for later!

The leftover tube above is what we'll be working with today!

I found this shirt on Pinterest (the bane of my time-management), and have been dying to try making a knock-off (which the pinner made sound really easy... we'll see). Apparently its an Anthropologie shirt, but I can't find it on the actual website!

The bottom of my blue tube is already hemmed, but I knew the top would need a nice rolled hem to keep from fraying all over.

I ironed it to help me out. Phew!

 I need to make a tube at the top of my shirt in order to run a ribbon or sash through, so after ironing the top bit, I folded the top down (wrong side out) about 1.5" all the way around.

But then I realized something . . .

It struck me at this point that the ribbon/sash would have to come OUT somewhere. Oops. :D

So I cut the serging off the side seams (you do NOT want to have to seam-rip through all that nonsense), and then ripped through the seam to make some armholes.

That ribbony bit down there is the serging that I cut off.

Then I pinned under the hem that I'd ironed . . .

Notice there's only two pins. I couldn't find my pin cushion. Oops.

And then ran each side through my machine.

Sewing close to the bottom of the tube, to make sure the rolled hem is sewed down nicely.

Here's where I made a boo-boo. See, those arm-holes that I opened up had sad and fraying seams that needed hemming. Now that I've sewed the tube already, I'm going to have to hem around the tube, instead of just sewing up the sides in a straight line and  then sewing the tube.

See that little circular opening? I had to try to sew around that.
Winging it tends to get me in this kind of trouble.

But I did get it hemmed! Phew!

Now it's time to get that sash through there!

I had this long sash in my stash, just waiting to be refashed. :P

Using a safety pin on one end, I eased it through the tube at the top of the shirt.

Makes things so much easier!

And that's it! Tadah!

I think it turned out pretty cute! It's very free and flowy, and material is really light and smooth. It's a great summer shirt, can be belted or left free, and would also be a great maternity shirt. So versatile!

AND if that yellow inspiration shirt IS from Anthropologie (which I have my doubts, since I can't find it on the website), their shirts sell anywhere from $50 to $150+ dollars.

I'd call this a savings!

This shirt is for sale at the HopeCycle Refashions Etsy shop - go check it out!

Thanks for everything! <3