THE CURTAIN BLOUSE - TOO GOOD TO THROW OUT

I loved these curtains. They just didn't fit in my new house. Getting rid of them wasn't really an option — so I made them into a blouse instead.

THE FABRIC

Off white sheer striped curtain fabric — the kind that has a slight shimmer to it and moves beautifully but is absolutely determined to slide off your cutting table at every opportunity. Slippery, light, and sheer enough that every pin mark shows. Not the easiest fabric to cut and sew, but the drape when it's finished makes it worth the patience.

THE PATTERN

I drafted the pattern myself. I wanted puffed sleeves — proper ones, gathered at the shoulder and pulled in with elastic at the three-quarter sleeve — and a relaxed body that would work with jeans. No commercial pattern would have given me exactly that, so I drafted it from scratch.

THE CLEVER BITS

I was short on time, so I cut the hem of the blouse at the existing curtain hem — which meant no hemming required. The curtain already had a perfectly finished edge, so I just used it. The neckline is finished with bias tape, which gives it a clean edge without adding bulk to such a fine fabric.

The grommets along the curtain heading got cut away entirely — they weren't part of the design, just something to work around when deciding how much usable fabric I actually had.

THE RESULT

I've worn it multiple times since making it. Usually with jeans, which is exactly what it was designed for — something lightweight and slightly dressy that still works for everyday.

There's something satisfying about wearing a fabric you already loved in a completely different form. The curtains didn't fit the house. The blouse fits perfectly.