DIY Form Fitting Flannel for $5!!

Found HERE

First off I'd just like to say that I'm still sad that Christmas is over, but I'm glad 2016 is almost over, because it has stolen too many icons! Today I learned that the ever gorgeous Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia from Star Wars). She was a hero, an icon, and an influential part of my life. Many others can attest to that statement, I'm sure. With so many outstanding souls having been taken this year, I've come to realize that time is of the essence to acquire true happiness. Live your lives to the fullest padawans. Space mama is now living amongst the stars and she will watch you all with the force. 

While I'm still shocked and heartbroken of the loss, I didn't intend for today's entire post to be a dedication to the beautifully talented Carrie - although she deserves much more than just a measly post - I want to now bring your attention to the main topic of today and that is winter wardrobe! And a little fall. 

For the entirety of the cold weathered season, I've had my eye on a cozy flannel that would compliment my wardrobe and keep warm throughout the day. With the "traditional" patterned flannels costing anywhere from $20 and up, I merely passed by them with a yearning of hope. Hope that they'd go on massive clearance during the spring season and I could snatch one up for a fraction of the cost.

Of course this logic would mean that I wouldn't be able to rock my flannel until NEXT fall, but I would've been happy nonetheless. However, as fate would have it, during a trip to my local Goodwill - you've never let me know ol' buddy - I came across a stunningly colored flannel with just the right amount of warmth! The best part wasn't just that it was only priced at $4.99, but that it was a BRAND NEW Polo Ralph Lauren. It was Christmassy, it was new, it was warm, but it was also huge. 

I'm talking grown man XL huge. You could practically hear my heart shatter with disbelief that Goodwill would taunt me in such a way. I grabbed the over-sized shirt and held onto it for dear life, hoping by somehow squeezing it hard enough, it would shrink to the perfect fit. 

News flash, it didn't work and I looked like a lunatic.

But it was then during my brief moment of insanity, that I realized I could indeed make this shirt turn into a dream come true. I just simply had to make it sew! See what I did there? I crack myself up. 

I proudly marched to the register and purchased my future DIY project, repeating to myself that while I could fail miserably, it was only $5 and I didn't have anything to lose! Expect my $5 of course. 

Once I got home, I put on the ginormous flannel and stared in the mirror for a good 10 minutes, praying to God that I could make this work. In an effort to be as precise as I could, I pulled out a "cowboy style" button up shirt that I had, to use as a reference for sizing. 

To make my markings, I simply used a white Crayola colored pencil - surprisingly, it makes for an excellent chalk outline without ruining the shirt - and drew roughly 2 inches away from the shirt I was outlining. To give myself a little "goof up" room. 

I did this process for the sides, the sleeves, the cuffs, and the overall length. I knew it meant practically resewing the entire flannel, but I meant it when I said I wanted one and by golly I was determined. 

One thing I will say helped me a little more forceful with my decisions, is that I sewed on the white line and did NOT cut anything off, until EVERYTHING was sewed. This meant having a little extra fabric on the inside momentarily while I tried it on - about a thousand times - before I actually took the leap to cut off the excess fabric. 

This saved me big time though, because if I did mess up - which thankfully I didn't - I could carefully rip the stitches, make new markings, and sew again. I'd rather not sew fabric back onto the shirt and only cut once. 

I even managed to sew a tiny "swoop" in the back and while it's definitely not perfect, it's perfect for me! 

The entire flannel now looks like it was practically made to fit me and I was able to finish the entire process within about 45 minutes. This is mostly because I measured everything 4 or 5 times before I started sewing, just to be sure. I also had to take a couple juice breaks with my padawan. 

Overall I'm really proud with how my flannel turned out and I gotta say, I'm feeling a little bit more empowered with my progress in the sewing world! I'm by no means an expert, but with practice here and there, I think I'm starting to get the hang of it! I won't be sewing gowns anytime soon, but I definitely see this as an enhancement to my thrift shopping experience! 

I've always taken mini leaps of faith when it came to semi-ill fitting clothing, but never something this "drastic" before. With this under my belt, the world is my possibility! Well, the world of Goodwill anyway.

Hopefully this has inspired you to take a new look into the thrift store world and see that you yourself can create anything with a little time, patience, creativity, and determination. If I can figure it out, trust me, so can you!

To close out, I'd like to extend my condolences to the entire family of Carrie Fisher. In the off chance that you read this - which I doubt, but I need to say this anyways - Carrie was my hero since I was a little girl. She made me believe that hope is all you need to move forward in a world of hate. She gave me my inner force and brought to life a sense of realization into my adulthood. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to love and admire her. May the force be with you all.