Sweatshirt to Baby Valentine's Shirt Refashion.

I'm not really into Valentine's day; call me the Valentine's Scrooge.  Actually, please don't.  There's something about it that has always felt so forced to me.  This seemingly arbitrary day that dictates when we should show an excess amount of love to those we care about most.  It's always made me feel silly...As if my love to you on the 14th should somehow manifest itself in ways that are more obvious and complete than at any other day of the year.  That's not to say that there aren't people who celebrate Valentine's day in a very personal, discrete manner.  Ultimately, I think that's all that really matters: what does it mean to you?  To me, it represents an absurd amount of artificial gifting, and almost necessary tokens of affection that it creates not a day of appreciation and love, but of expectations and anxiety.  I know.  I sound like I've been let down on Valentine's day, or dumped, or single and heartbroken for them all, or just really loveless.  But I haven't, and I'm not.  I just see people passing by me every year rushing to find chocolates or roses or even a more specialized, personal gift that will tell that special someone they mean the world to them.  And it made me realize that it seems almost impossible for a day to try to encompass so much emotion and meaning.  Because, in my eyes, it's hard to even fit all of that love and compassion into one year, let alone one day.  Which perhaps makes me more sappy than someone who celebrates Valentine's day with real vigor.  I think that every day in some way should be a kudos to love: because truly, is there anything meaningful without?

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With that being said, nobody can deny a box of 24 Fun Dips for $2.64.  Really, I would spend twice that just for the sugar sticks (is that gross?  Is there anyone else like me out there?).  Anytime I eat one of the sugar sticks, it feels like one of those moments when you're licking the spices off of the Doritos and you think to yourself, 'This is really disgusting.  I feel like a terrible human being right now.  But it's so delicious, I'm going to keep on keeping on'. 


And after all that, I still found it in my heart to sew my baby sister something for Valentine's day.  I found a couple of really cheap sweatshirts/long-sleeve t's at Walmart and couldn't pass up the offer for good priced fabric.  Seriously.  I bought a 5XXL sweatshirt for $2.  Where is the cut-off point of shirt size that it becomes acceptable to be angry that your shirt is the same price even though it's made with 6x less fabric?  Is it ever okay?  This baby sister of mine is a wonderful excuse to try creating anything I want, because she can't complain about wearing it.  And if it looks terrible, she doesn't judge me.

The majority of the fabric was taken from the back shirt, and the bottom ribbing and heart were cut from the enormous pink sweatshirt on the bottom.  (Walmart)

I free-handed a heart, which is harder than you might think.  Then I stitched the sweatshirt piece on, following the heart I drew.  I cut out the middle to reveal the pink behind the shirt.

 I tried to use as much ribbing as I could on both the bottom hem and the cuffs of the sleeves so that I would avoid having to hem anything myself.  It's irrational, my fear of hemming.  I'll admit it.

I'm actually really happy about how this shirt turned out and not at all conflicted with having made this in light of my personal stance on Valentine's day (ba dum, dum).