"Simple" Bow Tie Top- Part 2

Now when you see the words "part 2" at the top of this you may think, is there going to be a part 3? Oh yes there is. Technically the shirt is finished, just as the tutorial instructed but I hate it. So this morning I will be modifying the shirt in the hopes that I will actually wear it once. :)


So when I last left you the sewing machine was eating my fabric, my frustration was high and I was ready to chuck the sewing machine out the window. Monday evening my mom took a look at my 'technique' on the sewing machine, here is what we discovered:
1. The bobbin was threaded incorrectly, hence the eating of the material
2. Supposedly I was sewing on the wrong side of the fabric
3. The machine was not set on the right stitch
4. I wasn't remembering to reverse at the beginning and end of my sewing to keep the stitches in
The transgressions continued from there, so basically home-ec class had failed me (or maybe my effort in home ec class, my mom was one of the class volunteers and I am pretty sure she made my shorts herself-ha).


So after a quick 5 minute refresher course on the sewing machine, I started successfully sewing the shirt. It took me about an hour to make the top 'hem' as I call it, sew the sides, and hem the bottom of the shirt. At this point I basically have a large square of fabric. I have to say there is a certain amount of satisfaction when you actually use the sewing machine correctly.

My beautiful zig zag stitch!

So my dad was 'supervising' my sewing at the end, because I refused to be left alone with the machine in case there was a crisis, and he sees the shirt and starts laughing. Really hard. He make a comment that there is room for 4 people in it, and starts laughing harder, and at this point I think there are tears running down his face. Then my little brother comes in to see what is going on, and they both are giggling like toddlers. The support of my family is always reassuring.


Yesterday I was determined to finish the shirt, all I had to do was sew the fabric for the bow. My mom changed the thread, bobbin and stitch type before she left for work, so I could wrap this project up. I had decent success with this. I mean the two pieces were supposed to be the exact same size from when I cut them but, SURPRISE, they were about and inch different. I decided to just eye ball my sewing (enough measuring already) and it worked pretty nicely. I did almost forget to leave an opening to turn the fabric the right way but I remembered right at the end. The tutorial instructed to leave an 8" opening to do this, and then hand sew that shut. I hate sewing by hand, so I left about a 3" opening and it worked pretty good. The biggest thing about this fabric is that it frayed within 2 minutes of cutting it, and was everywhere. After some lovely ironing by my father, it actually looked like it was supposed to.

The fabric for the bow inside out, just need to trim off the extra fabric. 

Turned the right side out, kind of looks like a snake. 

Ironed, and actually looks like it should. 

 Finally the moment I had been waiting for, the shirt was almost done! I strung the fabric for the bow through the top of the shirt and tried it on. Well the arm holes were HUGE, so I quickly fixed those on the machine, and then tried it on again to see what I thought. I HATED it.

Front

Back

It doesn't look awful in the pictures but it is just way way too big. So today I am taking about 4" off the hem and making it about 5" narrower. Then I think it has a chance of actually making it out of the closet. The way it is now, any of my friends who are slightly shorter then me could wear it as a dress. It looks ridiculous!


I am planning on wrapping this project up today...so look for a post later of the finished project.


I am also planning on making a trip to JoAnn Fabric today to buy supplies for future crafts. If there is something from my Pinterest board you are dying to see me attempt, leave me a comment and you may see it sooner rather than later!