Reversible Western Bow & Sailor Collar DIY

Diy Reversible Western Bow & Sailor Collar

Hi there, I thought I would share my latest style DIY with you, which shows you how I made a large reversible bow from an old oasis shirt of mine, great for adding a bit edge to your t-shirt or round neck tops and dresses! Bows are even bigger news than usual at the moment as Minnie mouse my favourite Disney character is soon to infiltrate the catwalk, more on that later!  

You need a collarless sleeveless shirt, a western style denim or cotton shirt with a print is perfect as you need a deep yolk back and front of your shirt (this gives you the squared of sailor collar when you turn the bow back to front) but if you only have a shirt with sleeves and a collar it's obviously not an issue, just get out those scissors and cut those babies off outside of your seams! 

What you Need

1. Darning needle and thread 

2. Double sided tape 

3.Sharp Scissors

4.An old shirt with a deep yolk

How To Transform Your Shirt Into A Reversible Large Bow

 1. So now your shirt is free from sleeves and the collar simply cut the rest of the fabric of the shirt up to the very edge of the yolk seam, cut it as close as you can, but not any higher. I actually was a bit relaxed about how tight to the  seam I cut as I wanted a little grungy fraying on my cowboy shirt, as I felt it worked with the studs and checks.   

2. Next fold the edge of the shirt up till the edge sits just beneath the button hole and tape it in place, then stitch it in place using a large darning needle and matching thread.Repeat the process on the other side.By doing this you are defining the neck of your large bow.

You will find that there is a slight twisting of the fabric after you adjust and sew the neck fastening into place, I love the slightly 3d pleated effect this creates.

Voilà your done! To create your detachable sailor collar just wear this bad bow (not a spelling error!) back to front and charm everyone with the fancy pants detailing at the back of your look. I love it modelled by my favourite mannequin Beryl worn with this simple berry T and my crunchie yellow leopard jeans. What do you think?