Red Velvet: DIY Cut Out Peplum

Today's blog post is more of a "let me show you what I made" vs. "I want to tell you about this pattern" post. Over on Instagram, I recently talked about the yards of stretch velvet sitting in my stash and how I wanted to use it to make as many projects as possible before the year ends. Some of the fabric was gifted, and a few yards were purchased last year.

This top will be my third stretch velvet project, and I have two more planned. I made my top by modifying my basic t-shirt pattern and looking at a picture that I saw on Pinterest (following me on Pinterest yet?).

Since I did this without a pattern, my process was trial and error. I went with lining the front bodice pieces so the opening would have a clean finish. After that, I overlapped the two pieces at the armsyce and sewed a short baste stitch. I then hand-stitched the edge of the top bodice piece to the bottom bodice piece using a slip stitch. At that point, I sewed the shirt as I usually would. I cut a high low half-circle skirt to make the peplum. The front is 9 inches long, and the back is 12 inches long.

I love doing pattern hacks using TNT patterns because I don't have to worry about checking the fit. However, I know that isn't everybody's cup of tea, so if you are interested in creating a similar top, check out MimiG Style Simplicity 1276 (OOP) or McCall's 8003. To finish this look, I paired my top with black leggings and over the knee boots. Stay tuned for my next velvet look; it's a goodie!