Too small blouse transformation

I had come across a lovely grey and pink blouse at Kohls last week on the clearance rack. It was from their Elle collection. As much as I loved the style and the priced (marked down to $12.00) the size 2 is way too small for my more robust figure. It was the only one there and searching for a bigger size didn't help since it was the only one in the store.

I went back and forth on buying it, knowing it would take a bit of time to "fix" it to fit me. The seam allowances were only 1/4" and were serged so letting it out was impossible. So finally, after putting it back and picking it back up again I decided to embark on a Too small blouse transformation. Of course, in my haste to get it done in time for easter I forgot to take a picture of it before I transformed it.

So, I drew out a sketch of what the original style was.

It's not my best flat sketch but it's been awhile.

I found some very old salmon pink shantung (like may 25 years old) that I have held on to for many many years. It's papery and flimsy but it was all i had that matched. It was shredded in places because I think it may have been treated with a chemical that makes it softer but at the same time degrades it. In any case. I found my fabric and I started visualized how to make it bigger. I settled on cutting down the front and adding shantung panels to enlarge it. I draped the pieces on my ole' Seawolf which says it's a size 12 but is more like a size 10 as far as actual measurements go.

This is my first version but I felt it was lacking something. Onto another version.

The pink looked more "intentional" with the pink
sash but I wasn't quite satisfied.

I almost went with this one but didn't want
to spend much more time handsewing buttons.

I liked the idea of the sash better because:
no hand-sewing necessary.

I eventually went with this one, but altered it a bit.

Here's my final piece, all sewn together.

I sewed the pink and grey sash together. It seemed
easier than my final plan before.

If you are thinking the décolletage is a bit risky well then you didn't know that I had always intended to wear a shirt underneath it. And use the grey blouse as a bit of a light blouse-y jacket. No one was offended by my bosoms. I didn't ever get a picture of me wearing it because I got sick on Easter and took it off immediately after I got to my sisters Easter party and laid down in my sisters bed and watched re-runs of NCIS. I did get a couple pictures of my son picking up Easter eggs and really, that's all I'm required to do and I felt happy.

I did end up doing some hand sewing since the shirt never stayed closed. I put in some hooks and eyes to keep it together under the sash. 

But all in all, a nice piece and I'm glad I did it. 

Ruth