Gap to No Gap Recon!

Last week I showed you this awesome shirt I got at Goodwill: 

I loved the pattern and the fit - and the silky smoothness of the fabric feels so luxurious! But those shoulder pads...

And that gap! Ugh - my fellow compatriots in the "huge tracts of land" club can relate. I have avoided button-up shirts like the plague because of this very issue. Sure, sure, you can "safety pin" the gap closed. But who wants to fuss with a safety pin every time you put on your shirt? I can tell you right now - if I had to attach a safety pin every time I wanted to wear this shirt? That would be a reason I'd give myself not to wear it.

Luckily, this shirt surprisingly provided me with everything I needed to fix this issue...click "Read More" to find out how!

First and foremost, dem shoulder pads...

Goodbye shoulder pads!!

What I really wanted to do was add a snap closure to the gappy area. Unfortunately, I didn't have any. I really did not want to run to Joann's just for a snap closure...but upon closer inspection...

The shirt ALREADY HAD SNAPS IN IT! Right up underneath the collar, which was a silly choice as far as I'm concerned (who wants to take a flowy wild-print polyester shirt and button it ALL THE WAY up to the collar? NOT ME). But there they were! Snaps! I took my sharpest little scissors...

And cut the suckers off!

Then I found the mid-point between the second and third button (where the offending gap occurred) and poked my needle through. Handsewing all the way man! I love being able to do entire recons on the couch. :)

I sewed the bottom part of the snap (the "female" if you will) to the button side of the band. Then I just laid the other band on top, buttoned up the shirt to get it all even, and marked where to attach the "male" part of the snap right there on the other side. Fortunately, my shirt has a lovely little flap that covers all the buttons, so my shoddy hand-sewing job will be completely invisible to anybody who happens to be looking (EYES UP HERE BUDDY).

THAT GAP IS GONE!

I posed in all different ways and the gap was nowhere to be seen. It's like magic! And the ease of the snap means I won't have any reason not to wear this baby whenever I want. I'm so excited!

Two simple steps: remove shoulder pads (because lol) and move the snap from the top to the middle...the simplest of recons, perhaps, but among the most effective.

It's always nice to find something for $2 at your local thrift store that you can incorporate almost as-is into your wardrobe. Having a couple of handy skills (and a garment that provides like the horn of freaking plenty) can take it from "Ehhhh" to "WOW THAT IS A SHIRT ALL RIGHT."

I've also been working on Hat #5, using my Knit Picks Felici Self-Striping Sock Yarn in Building Blocks:

I love this yarn so much! I would never have used it on socks. I enjoy knitting socks, but I hate hand-knitted socks. Is that weird? Probably. OH WELL. Good thing I can use (apparently) one skein of this stuff and get a whole awesome hat...

Should be done with that by tomorrow so expect Hat #5 to make its debut within the next 24 hours!

XOXO