Friday, June 15, 2012

Thrifting - Variegated Embroidery

I know thrift store shopping is not for everyone, but every once in awhile you can find some diamonds in the rough.  This little shirt is 100% silk with rayon embroidery, a little wrinkled but other than that perfectly wearable.

Embroidered shirt front

They used a variegated embroidery floss for the design on the placket and motifs.

Embroidered shirt placket


 There is some of this in the stash that I haven't wanted to use until I found some inspiration. The embroidery detail on the center front placket is achieved with a very small stitch giving it a hand made quality.  The front panels are accented with three sets of pin tucks on each side.

Embroidered shirt - detail

 The center front placket has two tiny pearl buttons matched with two tiny thread chain loops to keep the neckline closed.
Embroidered shirt neckline

Embroidered shirt  tiny buttons

The center front placket has 6 mother of pearl buttons.

Embroidered shirt pearl buttons



The sleeve cuff  has a coordinated version of the embroidery on the cuff, and is closed with fabric loops and self covered buttons.
Embroidered shirt cuff

The inside seams are finished with a french seam at the side seam and under sleeve seam.

Embroidered shirt french seams

The neckline is finished with a bias strip, that is under stitched and top stitched.

Embroidered shirt bias neckline finish

And all of this for $4.00, the pearl buttons alone would be worth that.  This is also a good example of how lightweight silks can be finished and for those of you who entertain the " One pattern many looks " philosophy the details here are good ones to keep in mind for dressing up that one silhouette.

2 comments:

Mary said...

Oh, that is quite a find! I love it and it brings back many memories of my thrift store shopping as a young woman in the 70s. I scoured shops for vintage finds like this and sported such an angelic look :-)

ELMO said...

Angelic, where do we find those looks anymore? It seems that urban fashion has taken over and young girls are looking a little too grown up these days. However, you still look angelic to me M!