It’s a DIY: Off Shoulder Blouse and High Waist Pants

One of my new year’s resolutions was to create a more diverse personal wardrobe.  For the longest, I found myself recycling the same clothing every few weeks.  Now there’s nothing wrong with that except I started to feel drab and bored with my daily clothing choices.  I don’t know about you, but there’s something super exciting about stepping out in vibrant colors and prints and noticing how positively your day starts and continues.  That feeling of I know I look cute today, so nothing’s going to get in my way.

So while fabric shopping for client, I ran across this printed cotton fabric and instantly fell in love with it.  I mean instantly, and so in love that I think I bought 6 yards of it.  Don’t ask what I thought I was going to create with it.  I just knew that something about it made me smile inside. Of course the fabric remained in my stash for months until I finally pulled it out to create a dress and later a top, because 6 yards is lot of fabric. 

For the top I used McCalls 7752 pattern with some alterations.  The pattern came with a lot of modification ideas, which I really liked. I loved the idea of the knot on the bodice, so on trend this year.  I used the short peplum option and created a slightly longer peplum to layer.  To add a bit more drama to the look, I decided to create sleeves with elastic casings at the wrists.  The sleeves are simply sewn unto the bodice of top with some easy stitches.

I was going to pair the top with some skinny jeans and call it a day.  But I caught myself slipping back to my boring ways and decided to create pants.  I chose to challenge myself and make a style of pants that I have never created or even owned.  So I dug into my stash of patterns and used Simplicity 8655 to make high waist pants. No pattern alterations were made and sewed them as is using a lightweight stretch wool blend.  I absolutely loved the results. I truly see more pants making in my future.

And because I wear the looks I create, I decided to pack the off shoulder blouse during a recent trip to Houston, Texas.  The warm weather was perfect for it.  I didn’t take any pictures while socializing but I did snap a few bathroom selfies before heading out for the evening.  So to combat boredom with your clothes, throw in some color or tie in a print that screams fun. You’d be amazed how your energy level changes, just for that day.

What do y’all think? Did I succeed in creating a vibrant look? How do y’all get out of the boring clothing slump?