Tunic Refashion

I have a great interest in learning to alter clothing. Refashioning clothing I've obtained for free or at a low cost is a great way to learn.

Someone gave me this lovely green tunic. I love the color, but as you can see in the before picture, it was enormous. You could see through one armhole and out the other. 

I took the easy way out on this refashion. I started sewing up the sides at each armhole. The fluttery sleeves ended at a point that was the perfect place to start sewing.
I did a “trial-and-error” method at first, just machine-basting up the sides. I wasn't sure exactly where to put the seam; I wasn't sure where it should curve in and then back out. You can see below roughly where I sewed.


Then, when I got one side to the point I liked, I sewed it, cut the fabric, and then zig-zagged the raw edges. (I don’t have a serger.)
 

To do the other side, I folded the shirt in half and used the first seam as a guide for cutting. That way, I could use the first side as a pattern and both sides would match.
 

Here’s the finished product. If I had a serger and wanted to spend some time doing it ‘right’, I would have taken out the sleeves and taken the whole shirt in at the shoulders. Then I would have re-attached the sleeves and taken in the sides.


It looks good with a belt. I need to get a pair of skinny black pants to wear it with. Maybe I could find a pair to alter!