Too Scoopy?

I tried a little experiment a while ago.

I bought this shirt for $4.00 at Walmart... really liked the colors and the design and the sleeve length is my favorite! (Then I had second thoughts when I got in line to check out and a 70 year old woman behind me was purchasing the same shirt. Let's just pretend she was purchasing it for her extremely hip 30-something daughter. Or as hip as you can get when you buy clothes at Walmart.)

At home I found that the scoop of the neckline was just a little TOO open for me. I realize that it is by no means low-cut, or vulgar. But for me, I really hate going around all day making sure everything is "tucked in" just right, or bending over and having the whole world see down to my belly button. (Such are the woes of the flat-chested woman.) So my underclothing was not overtly hanging out, but I kept fidgeting with it all day. Grrrr.

SOLUTION: I ran a SINGLE ROW of shirring right through the middle of that ribbed edge around the neckline. 2 minutes!

If you want a wonderful tutorial on shirring, go here. Don't be intimidated, it's really, really, really easy and quite fun! I will offer three helpful tidbits to add to that tutorial:

1. Elastic thread is found near the elastics, not the threads.
2. Backstitch a TON when you start and stop. It can unravel easily.
3. If it doesn't seem like your project is gathering up enough - be patient! You didn't mess something up. More and more rows will increase the effect. Also a blast of steam from your iron makes it scrunch up a whole lot more.

WARNING: At first I tried 3 rows of shirring, and it pulled the shoulder seams way too far in. The material was also yanked very tightly into my armpits to the point where I was rather uncomfortable. So I stuck with just one row. My finished product may not LOOK a lot different, but it FEELS so much better! Nothing hangs open or scooches around. Just that little bit of stretch made it stay put. Yay - the perfect fix!