Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Altered t-shirts

I have not posted in a couple of weeks due to what I now call OUR FABULOUS GRANDBABY SPRING BREAKS ROAD TRIP.  When we got back here to the Phoenix Arizona area, we jumped into full hot summer temperatures.  I would like to discuss t-shirts.  We buy them when we visit a fabulous place or city or perhaps a college shirt, but then what about them.  As far as I am concerned, I have never worn t-shrits alot.  They haven't fit in my weather temps, but also, for me, they are just not that flattering.  Perhaps that is true for alot of women.  I have posted what I have done with my t-shirts.  I have made tank tops out of t-shirts.  It is easy, peasy.  Cut apart the t-shirt removing the neck ribbing, and cut across the shoulders and then remove the sleeves.  Use an exsisting tank top pattern cutting the front and back on the fold.  Then cut out the neck and sleeve binding out of the sleeves.  If you don't have enough fabric on the sleeves for the facing, buy another t-shirt at the thrift store of similiar color and use that for fabric.
These tshirts are the ones I altered to tank tops.
     The second thing you can do to t-shirts is to cut out the neck ribbing and replace that with another knit facing.  Again it doesn't have to match, and you can use another t-shirt purchased at the thrift store.  Sometimes just getting rid of a high neck ribbing makes a huge difference in how that t-shirt feels.  Another thing I do is shorten them and either hem them, or add a contrast t-shirt binding. Hopefully these ideas will inspire you to look at your t-shirts differently.

3 comments:

  1. I do not know how to sew knits. Do you have some good advice?

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  2. Cute ideas, Maggie ... I almost always alter my t-shirts too. Except some of us can't afford to go sleeveless, LOL!

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  3. hi maggie! just found your site thru quiltart...we must be kindred souls! all my art is pretty much altered or recycled; i just dont wear it myself. look forward to seeing your projects!

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