Refashionista! From Thrift Shop Pillow Sham to 50s Blouse

 Take one really big pillow sham from the Goodwill thrift shop:

 And a late 1950s pullover "overblouse" pattern - I opted for view 2:

I had to remove all seams and spread it out to see how much fabric I really had to work with. The tricky part was lining up the pockets so the dots were aligned and matched:

And the finished blouse! It's great alone as a summer top or with a turtleneck underneath for cooler weather wear. And note how those pockets are in perfect alignment! ;) The pattern is fairly boxy, so I added vertical contour darts in back for a better, less-loose fit.

It's not spectacular, but it IS versatile and a fun addition to my separates wardrobe - good enough for work or play!

Beating the Heat

While the rest of the United States is positively roasting with temperatures in triple digits, we here on the western fringe of the continent are having a very cool, damp summer. Today I am wearing a sweater. :p

I have noticed on the weather maps for the past week or two that even the interior of Alaska has warmer weather than Seattle. It was with a sigh of envy and irony that I shipped off the following pattern for sleeveless pullover knit tops (Simplicity 9035) to a customer in Alaska today. It's cute, timeless, fun-in-the-sun fashion from the 1970s!

I hope you all are keeping comfortable in style, no matter the weather!