The Mid-Week Makeover: Pretty Flamingo

I bought this Indian-made tunic for 20p from a jumble sale a while ago. Although the embroidery's pretty, it's beige, the kind of length that does even the most waif-like figure no favours and the sleeves are half-hearted to say the least, so, being on a creative roll at the moment, I set to work transforming it into something that was more me.

I cut it to just below waist length, allowing half-an-inch for a hem and then machine-stitched it.

With the seam ripper, I slashed the boring sleeves along the seam as far as the elbow, folding them back to form a V shape.

Using a triangle of the discarded fabric, cut from the body, I pinned it inside the sleeve to form a trumpet shape and machined it into place.

I machine-dyed it a groovy shade (thanks, Annie)....

...and there you have it, a far more hippy-tastic cropped kaftan with flared sleeves.

Indian kaftan worn with 1960s Dollyrockers maxi skirt (99p, eBay), a floral headband (Xmas pressie from a friend) and a heap of Indian jewellery

There was loads of dye in the box so I dyed Jon's Valentine's day present at the same time.

 It started off as a standard round neck tee shirt in a hideously drab shade of beige, salvaged from the £1 rail in a charity shop.

There was once a logo here but Jon and I share a mutual loathing for them, so it got hidden by a retro patch which came free with a magazine in the 1990s.

Don't worry, we won't wear our customised tops at the same time.

See you soon.