lace appliqued tanks * re-fashion

I picked up several of these lace appliques at a craft market last year. Then last month I found plain tanks on sale at jc penney for $5 each and decided embellishing them would be a quick, easy and super cute project. I searched "lace applique" and "vintage applique" on etsy and found lots of shops selling them for just a couple dollars each - I actually have two more on the way to me. I have decided I need a fancied up tank for every day of the week.

 

 

The first thing  you will want to do is wash and dry your tank top and iron your applique to make sure it is nice and flat. Ironing is not my favorite thing to do but trust me, it will make things so much easier!





 

 

Then place the applique exactly where you want it and pin, pin, pin! Again, pinning is not fun but you don't want anything shifting while you sew, so just do it!



 

Then stitch all around the applique. You can use a ball point needle which is generally recommended when sewing with knits but I just used a regular needle and did not have any issues. I removed my extension table to make it easier to work around the arm holes and neck.

 

 

Once you sew all around clip your thread tails and that's it! Time to wear your adorable new creation! Or you can add buttons like I did to my navy  top in the pics.

 

 



Here are the tanks I have made so far. Eek, aren't they pretty?

 

I have been wearing them with cardigans during the chilly Spring. They are darling with jeans and skirts.

 

I also have these little crocheted flowers and fabric yoyos that I used to embellish a tank last Summer. I don't love the fit of that top so I think I will take them off and sew them to something else. This is another instant gratification project that you can whip up in an afternoon or while watching a movie with your hubby (ask me how I know).

 

 

So there you go, a custom Summer wardrobe in just a few hours! If you make your own tanks be sure to message me so I can see!

 

Happy sewing, friends!