Finally Making Something for Myself! Part 2

Finally Making Something for Myself!

I spend an awful lot of time sewing things for other people.

Cushions, commissions, gifts, alterations… there always seems to be somebody else's project sitting next to my sewing machine.

So I decided it was about time I actually made something for me.

Yes. Me.

I know. Shocking.

It All Started With a SHEIN Top…

Pink broderie anglaise mock-up top handmade from a pattern created from an existing SHEIN top. The design was lengthened for extra coverage, adjusted with additional bust darts for a better fit, and fully lined after I realised the eyelet fabric was see-through.

I'd bought a top from SHEIN that I really liked.

From the front, it was fairly simple, but the back was what caught my attention. It was open with a tie across it, and I loved the whole shape and style.

There was just one problem.

I wanted it longer.

I wanted something that would cover my belly and sit at a length I actually felt comfortable wearing. I didn't want to spend the entire day pulling it down or wondering whether bits of me were making an unexpected appearance.

Now, a normal person might have searched for a sewing pattern in a similar style.

But apparently that's not how my brain works.

In true Rhiannon style, I looked at my perfectly wearable SHEIN top and thought:

"I'll just cut it up."

So I did.

I took the top apart, used the individual pieces to create my own pattern and added extra length.

One sacrificed SHEIN top later, I had a pattern.

What could possibly go wrong?

For Once, I Was Going to Make a Mock-Up

I'd already found the fabric I wanted to use for the finished top.

It was gorgeous, navy with big pink and peach flowers, and as soon as I saw it, it gave me serious Ted Baker vibes.

Pink broderie anglaise mock-up top handmade from a pattern created from an existing SHEIN top. The design was lengthened for extra coverage, adjusted with additional bust darts for a better fit, and fully lined after I realised the eyelet fabric was see-through.

Which meant I absolutely did not want to cut straight into it and discover that my homemade pattern was completely wrong.

So, in an unusually sensible moment, I decided to make a mock-up first.

Yes, you read that correctly.

I actually tested something before attacking the good fabric.

Personal growth.

I found some pink fabric I already had and started putting my new pattern together.

And it was going surprisingly well.

Far too well, obviously.

Oh FFS… It's Got Holes in It

The pink fabric had a lovely broderie-anglaise-style pattern with lots of little holes.

Something I hadn't really considered until I started making it.

So my quick, simple mock-up suddenly needed…

A lining.

Of course it did.

This was supposed to be the practice version. Something quick that I could throw together, try on, check the fit and then move on to the real thing.

Instead, there I was making a fully lined top.

Because apparently even my practice garments have to become a full-scale production.

Still, it actually turned out to be worth doing.

The Mock-Up Did Its Job

When I tried the pink version on, I could see that the basic pattern worked, but there were a few things I wanted to change before going anywhere near my lovely floral fabric.

The biggest issue was the fit around my bust.

The shape I'd taken from the original top wasn't sitting quite right on me, so I added extra darts to shape the top properly around my bust.

And this is exactly why making the mock-up was actually a very sensible idea.

I know.

I'm as shocked as you are.

Rather than accepting something that pulled, gaped or didn't sit properly, I could alter my pattern to fit my body.

I'd already changed the length to give me more coverage over my belly, and now I could change the shaping around my bust too.

Suddenly I wasn't really copying the SHEIN top anymore.

I was using it as a starting point to make something that actually worked for me.

Time to Cut the Good Stuff

Finally Making Something for Myself! Part 2

Once I'd adjusted my pattern, there was no more avoiding it.

It was time to cut into the fabric I'd actually bought for the project.

And there is something terrifying about that first cut into fabric you really love.

You can practically hear your brain whispering:

"Are you absolutely sure about this?"

No.

Obviously not.

But we're doing it anyway.

The pink mock-up had given me enough confidence that the pattern worked, so I transferred my changes onto the final version and started sewing.

Laying out my homemade sewing pattern onto the fabric ready to cut the pieces for my new top. I created the pattern by taking apart a SHEIN top I liked, then adapted the shape and length to create a better fit for me.

And slowly, it came together.

The floral fabric completely changed the look of the top.

What had started as an idea borrowed from a SHEIN top was beginning to look like something completely different.

And much more me.

But Apparently Ted Baker-Style Wasn't Enough… 😂

By this point, my SHEIN-inspired top in my Ted Baker-style fabric was looking pretty good.

But apparently Ted Baker-style wasn't quite enough for me.

Because I found some actual Ted Baker buttons.

And obviously I bought them.

They were going on the back.

Because if you're going to make yourself a Ted Baker-inspired top, you might as well fully commit to the situation.

They were only a small detail, but I loved adding something genuinely Ted Baker to the finished piece.

It just gave the back that extra little finishing touch and made the whole thing feel a bit more special.

So, just to recap…

I bought a SHEIN top.

Cut it up.

Made a pattern from it.

Lengthened it to cover my belly.

Made a pink mock-up.

Realised the mock-up fabric had holes in it.

Lined a top that was only supposed to be a practice run.

Added extra darts to fit my bust properly.

Cut into my precious Ted Baker-style fabric.

And bought genuine Ted Baker buttons to finish it off.

All because I fancied a new top.

Completely normal behaviour.

And Here She Is!

And after all of that…

I bloody love it.

The front is simple enough that the gorgeous floral fabric can do all the talking, but it's shaped properly around my bust thanks to the extra darts.

The longer length gives me exactly the coverage I wanted over my belly.

Then you turn around…

BAM.

Front view of my finished handmade top, created using a pattern I drafted from a SHEIN top and adapted to fit me. Made from navy floral Ted Baker-style fabric, I added extra length for more coverage and additional bust darts to improve the fit.

That back.

I kept the large open-back design that I'd loved about the original top, with the tie across the lower back and my Ted Baker buttons adding that little extra detail.

And I think the floral fabric works beautifully with the design.

It's feminine, a little bit different and definitely feels like something I'd choose to wear.

But the thing I like most isn't actually the fabric or even the open back.

It's the fit.

Because I didn't try to make my body fit the top.

I made the top fit my body.

That's the Beauty of Making Your Own Clothes

I think that's what I've taken away from this project more than anything else.

When you buy clothes, we're so used to thinking that our bodies are the problem.

Something is too tight around the bust but fits everywhere else.

Something fits your waist but is too short.

Something looks gorgeous on the hanger but sits completely differently once you put it on.

And we stand in changing rooms thinking:

"It doesn't fit me."

Making my own clothes turns that around.

If it's too short, I can make it longer.

If it doesn't fit properly around my bust, I can add darts.

If I want a bit more coverage somewhere, I can add it.

If I want a huge open back while simultaneously wanting the front to cover my belly…

I can have both.

There aren't any rules saying my body has to fit somebody else's standard pattern or sizing.

I can change the clothes.

And I really like that.

Why Didn't I Make Clothes for Myself Sooner?

I'm genuinely proud of this one.

Is it technically perfect?

Probably not.

Would a professional dressmaker find things they'd do differently?

Almost certainly.

Do I care?

Back view of my finished handmade floral top, showing the statement open-back design, tie fastening and Ted Baker buttons. The top was made using my own adapted pattern in navy fabric with large pink and peach flowers.

Nope.

I took inspiration from something I already owned and turned it into something completely personal.

I made the pattern.

I changed the length.

I adjusted the fit.

I made a mock-up.

I even lined the bloody mock-up.

And then I took a fabric I loved and turned it into something I can actually wear.

More importantly, after spending so much time making things for everybody else, I finally made something for myself.

And I think I might need to do a bit more of that.

Although knowing me, the next project will probably involve completely skipping the sensible mock-up stage, cutting straight into the expensive fabric and announcing:

"It'll be fine."

Some things never change.

Before You Go… 🧵❤️

If you’ve enjoyed reading about my latest make, mishap or “I’ve got absolutely no idea what I’m doing, but let’s give it a go” moment, there’s plenty more where that came from!

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📖 Have a nose through my other blogs for more sewing adventures, crafty ideas, successes, disasters and general behind-the-scenes chaos.

🛍️ Pop over to More Shabby Than Chic to see what I’ve been making and what’s currently available.

And if you’ve enjoyed this one, leave me a comment, I genuinely love hearing from you.

Until next time… keep making, keep laughing, and remember: handmade doesn’t have to mean perfect. ❤️

RhiannonMore Shabby Than Chic