An Upcycled, Recycled, Vintage-cycled Shirt (whew!)

OK, so "vintage-cycled" isn't really a word. I got a little carried away with all my "cycles" there.

This shirt is upcycled and uses recycled materials (old vintage linens/lace) so I think I've covered all my bases.

I've recently discovered a passion for hand sewing. I enjoy machine sewing on occasion, but mostly am too impatient to be a good seamstress (BTW is "seamstress" an OK term to use? I noticed lots of people who sew use other words now like seamster and things ... anyone know?).

Sure, I've made curtains, pillowcases, very simple pieces of clothes over the years. But I've never been as "real" seamstress like my mother and grandmother were. They were like fabric magicians growing up. I'd find clothes I liked in the JCPenney's back-to-school catalog and poof! My mother whipped up something that looked very similar for me in a matter of days.

Well, I'm not at that stage yet. I am learning to love hand sewing though. I'm always looking for little creative projects to work on in the evening while I "watch" TV with my husband (OK, I'm not really watching most of the time but we are sharing the couch. That counts, right?)

Anyway, here's the top that I put together recently using some vintage linens. This shirt, in addition to being pretty on its own before the upcycle, is so soft. Oh my. I would like to wear it every day if I could.

And here's another shot a little bit closer up (sorry for the poor lighting--it's hard to get a shot at mid-day when natural light floods into this room):

Not sure about my arms--I look sort of like I want to fight someone. "You. Yeah you. Talking to me?!"

This one will be going on Etsy soon. I want to try to get a nice image or two closer up of the flower and vintage collar. :)

***UPDATE: It's in the shop as of 1/24/16. You can find it here: Upcycled Nostalgia Vintage-Inspired Women's Shirt   :)

What's your favorite recycle/upcycle project lately? Please share a link in the comments so we can check it out!