T-shirt Hack

A Fancy-Pants Tshirt Hack

There something magical in the simplicity and democracy of a tshirt. Man or woman, thin or not so much, young and young at heart, the tshirt is one design that fits all. They are comfortable, smart and they don’t ask for much.

From a crafty point of view, the shape and fabric are easy to work with (did anyone say ‘no fray’?), plus you can get them very cheaply, in all colors, sizes and prints. And what’s cooler than saying: “Oh, I made this out of a tshirt I had laying around the house.”

So today – like everyday – we hack. We cut and paste and sew and trim. And we shut up with the motivational speech and dead poet society momentum and proceed with the tutorial.

How-to:
1. Get a tshirt that’s a few sizes bigger than your own.
2. Get another tshirt that fits you well to use as a pattern.
3. Turn your big tee inside out. Now, taking into consideration you pattern model, cut and shape your large tshirt. I also cut the neckline, but you can use the original one if you want.
4. I used another tshirt in a contrasting colour, cut a part of the sleeve and pinned it as a continuation of the original sleeve to make it longer. You can skip this step if you want.
5. Now pin your newly cut tee. And sew.
6. Now cut a semicircle in the shoulder area. Repeat for both sides or just cut one if you’re daring.
7. Hem your neckline and your shoulder decoupage and enjoy.
8. I decided I like it more without the green part, so I removed it in the end.

And that it. No serger, no monkey business. Just remember to use a zig-zag stitch if you’re using a sewing machine or pull the fabric a bit when you’re sewing if your machine looks like it can’t grab the thread underneath.

And keep experimenting; that’s the fun of it.