I just bought a new shirt but I think it’s a tiny bit ugly. Let’s alter a blouse!
Welcome to Murder She Knit, a blog where we craft a wardrobe inspired by Jessica Fletcher, the heroine of Murder She Wrote portrayed by the beloved Angela Lansbury.
How will we do this? One episode at a time – finding thrifted treasures, searching deep in our closets, and making some of her memorable pieces by hand.
Disclaimer: Murder She Wrote and the character Jessica Fletcher belong to their respective owners. This blog is a fan project and I do not claim any ownership of their intellectual property.
The Problem
A blue and white stripe blouse is a wardrobe staple and I’ve been looking to thrift one for a while.
I found one that fits like a dream and it cost less than $10 – the only problem is that the collar and cuffs are a shiny animal print. Oof. I know a lot of folks love the animal print but it’s not for me – especially in this shiny, cheap feeling material.
But if you have a sewing machine and some patience this is fixable!
The Fix: How To Alter A Blouse
Step 1 when you want to alter a blouse is making sure you’re comfortable running the risk of ruining it. Honestly, it felt unwearable to me with these cuffs. And with a price point under $10, I was okay with taking the risk.
So, I went with the seam ripper! 15 minutes later, I had the first cuff removed from the blouse.
I used the removed cuff as a pattern to cut new cuffs from a solid blue cotton from my blue scrap bin.
With that piece cut off, all we have left to do is sew it back on.
I stitched the blue cotton onto the right side of the removed cuff fabric leaving the top edge open and turned it right side out.
The last bit was the trickiest. I needed to tuck the raw edge of the sleeve neatly into my new cuffs. Pins and clips were the salvation!
With slow, careful stitching I was able to reattach the cuffs. Are they perfect? No, but I love the look and now I’ll happily wear this blouse.
With the cuffs replaced, this shirt became the foundation of my Season 1, Episode 3 Dressed Like Jessica outfit. See it in all it’s glory here!