Linen Tunic

There is a great thrift shop by my house that has an "international" section, filled with beautiful saris, tunics, and scarves. Recently, this section was on sale, so I snapped up a few things, including this tunic, which set me back $2.50.

I loved the color and the light linen fabric, but it had a few issues that needed my attention. It was a bit too long in the front. The sleeves were strange, with a diamond cut-out just above the elbow.

Also, some of the beads were missing around the neckline, shown in the upper left corner of the photo and on the vine on the right.

I bought a package of these beads and replaced the missing ones. I also re-stitched the existing ones for added durability. Next, I chopped off the sleeves slightly below the the cut-outs and marked the front where I wanted to shorten the hem.

I hemmed the sleeves, keeping the notched detail on the edge, and I stitched the front lower hem. I also curved the back hem like this refashion from Little Do You Know. I think it makes it more flattering and modern. Here's how it turned out.

The sleeves look much cooler now.

And here's my curved hem. 

And, finally, the before-and-after:

Thanks for reading!    - Amy