Reconstructed Crop Top (Tutorial)

I am in dire need of more costume pieces, so I looked in the closet for reconstruction projects. Making costumes from scratch have always been overwhelming for me so recreating clothes is the next best option. The blouse I chose was very familiar with belly dancing because it was the shirt I wore on the opening night of Lady Morrighan's BellyRoom in Hammond. What a coincidence!

This is the shirt I chose for my project:

All is needed is a blouse, a pair of scissors, a sewing machine (or needle and thread), straight pins, safety pins, and elastic.

1.) Try on the blouse and measure how high you want to cut. Keep in mind to leave room for threading in the elastic.

2.) Fold the edge of the blouse wide enough for the elastic and straight pin the seams. Do not place the elastic in yet. Use the sewing machine or hand sew.

3.) After you finish sewing the edges, make a small, delicate, slit inside the middle back seam like this:

4.) Stick a safety pin inside the elastic and thread it through the slit. In order to make sure the amount of elastic used is comfortable, connect the safety pin to the other side of the elastic and try on the blouse. After you find the appropriate amount of elastic to use, cut and sew it together.

VOILA!