Executing a Vision in Lace

I have been envisioning this shirt refashion in my head for about as long as I've been refashioning.  I wanted a simple tank top in the front with a lace panel in the back.  I have a box of lace that belonged to my great-grandmother, and I love the idea of using it in projects.  That is, as opposed to just keeping it in a box at the top of my sewing closet. (Remember this gift wrap job?)

Lace?  Check.  Now onto the shirt.

Every time I went to the Bargain Barn, I would look (to no avail) for an appropriate shirt to adapt.  Lo and behold the perfect shirt was in my closet the whole time. 

Here is the before circa 2010.  Dark green.  Plain.  Boring.  And obviously in desperate need of a lace panel in the back!  (Hi Paige!  Remember this trap door bar in Croatia??)

And here is the after.  I took off the sleeves and cut out a big chunk of the back.  Then simply sewed the panel in with my sewing machine.  The most difficult part was figuring out a way to finish the edges of the straps and arm holes.  After several failed attempts, I used double layer seam binding, and it worked great. 

This is exactly how I envisioned the shirt, and I can't wait to show it off this summer!  (Bee tee dubs, the best part about sewing my own clothes?  Getting to answer the question, "Where did you get that shirt?" with "Oh, this? I made it." Even if I have to fish for the question!)