I have a strong love of all fabric. While I tend to shop apparel fabrics for most of my clothing makes, I also love to find creative ways to repurpose fabrics that might not always be considered for clothing. Saving items from heading to the landfill is a great way to cut down on the excessive textile waste in our country. I recently let my family and friends know that I would gladly take items they were throwing away or getting rid of to see if I can find a new life for them. It feels like Christmas everytime someone tells me, I have a bag of stuff for you!!! In great excitement I look though and see what ideas I can come up with for the items. Imagine my delight when I saw this shower curtain and immediately thought of my next caftan project! Here is a little peek at how I made my favorite Simplicity caftan using a shower curtain.
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It’s no secret that I absolutely love Simplicity 8505. I recently made two knit versions, one in a striped french terry (blogged about here) and one from a Target jersey bedsheet (another fun repurpose project). You can read about that one on my Instagram here.
The first thing you should understand about this pattern is the large amount of fabric it requires. In my striped caftan I had plenty of fabric (yay for an amazing thrifted find) and was able to create the pattern as intended width wise. My gray sheet caftan was made from a queen size sheet and is about 3 inches narrower on each side than the pattern. It makes for a shorter sleeve and a need to raise the underarm seam a bit, but still provides a very roomy and comfy caftan. I have wanted to create one in a woven, as the pattern is written for that fabric base, but I don’t have much in my stash that is big enough. When this fun, bright geometric shower curtain was gifted to me, I knew it would make my first woven caftan for Simplicity 8505.
Just like my bedsheet, this shower curtain was also too narrow. I lost some width while cutting it out, and you can see the shorter sleeve from losing that width. I also made sure my underarm seam came up higher as leaving it as is makes the side a bit revealing. The shower curtain is 100% cotton and not super rigid as some curtains could be, so make sure you check fabric content before trying to make your own shower curtain clothing item. My curtain was from World Market and I have no idea how old it is since it was gifted to me. I did find this fun one below from Amazon that I think is so pretty.
When cutting out the pattern, I chose to lose the center front and back seams and cut on the fold. I also used the border as my hem and removed the hem length (I just folded it back at the hem) from the pattern piece prior to cutting. I decided to use the border along the top as the waistband and so I set to work removing it with a seam ripper. I also had to use the fabric underneath the border for my bodice as I did not have enough fabric otherwise.
I always omit the back center seam and button as I see no need for it and therefore I also cut the facing for the back neckline on the fold (minus the seam allowance).
I just love how easy and effortlessly chic these caftans feel. They are perfect for feeling a little glam while lounging at home. I don’t see my love of this pattern or this style ending any time soon, so I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I do. And sorry to my hubby (and all my brothers-in-law) who apparently think these are the worst things I have ever sewn…guess you can’t please everyone 🙂 But I firmly believe you should wear what makes you happy, so I will be continuing on with my love of caftans!
Until next time,
Happy Sewing
About 18 years ago I decided to teach myself how to sew. Long before blogs and resources available today which meant it was often disastrous. But I never gave up because I loved it so much. Today I love helping others get started on their own sewing journey. You can read more about my family and I
Love how creative you are!
Thank you so much!