oversized tee to wearable singlet
My first refashioning project since signing up. Four months of not buying any new clothes - instead I will be sewing and refashioning thrifted or other clothes.
I had bought a few very cheap on-sale oversized men’s long sleeved jersey tops quite a while ago, always intending to turn them into wearable tees or singlets for myself but they had been buried in the big pile of stuff that is my studio and I had forgotten about them. While looking for something else last week I found them!
Isn’t that a great print on the front of the shirt? I love it but that top is way too big and boxy for me. I took a favourite singlet top and simply cut around it to get the shape I needed.
That little flower patch on my comfy pink singlet top is covering up a stain that wouldn’t come out but it is a little dorky so I want to replace it with something else - another project for another day!
Anyway after cutting around my singlet top, including cutting the ribbing off the neckline of the long sleeve tee and freehanding a more scooped neckline, I just overlocked the sides together. When I cut the tshirt, I had kept the original shoulder seams and bottom hem intact.
I then used some ribbing (about 2″ wide) to bind the sleeve and neck edges. If you would like to know more about this technique (different to ordinary ribbing application) then go here and scroll down quite a way until you get to the heading “Method 2: Binding the edge with Self Fabric” for a good explanation. You can use the tshirt fabric (eg. Jersey) instead of ribbing if you like. This technique gives a professional finish.
And this is the finished and much more wearable result! Beautiful birds!
I did another one while I was on a roll. This time I used a contrast rib binding and I think the blue really brightens up the chocolate brown. That hand-sewn looking square at the bottom was part of the original tee design but it’s a good idea for customising a tee.
Very happy with these - I am going to enjoy this challenge! Hey, by the way, if you want to sign up for 2, 4 or 6 months then you’ve got until June 10th to do it. Head over to the Wardrobe Refashion blog to get some inspiration and sign up.
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tags: op shop, refashioning, sewing, thrifting, wardrobe refashion
Wow–gorgeous results! I’ve been stealing tees from my husband, intending to alter them as you did, but never quite getting around to it. Perhaps this shall be the weekend!!
Well done, can you give me the address to the how to site for more hints and tips on how to’s please?
This is such a great idea. I have been wanting to do this for a while now and I think you have just pushed me over the edge!