T-Shirt Pattern with Tuxedo Ruffle

I have a couple of favorite T-Shirts. You can tell they are my favorite because of the stains and holes! With some extra fabric laying around (ha ha) I decided to make a pattern out of my favorite T-Shirt and make a new T-Shirt. This was one of the easiest article of clothing that  I have ever made with out a store bought pattern! Even the beginning sewer can sew this T-Shirt. 

First Start by finding one of your t-shirts that is only two pieces of fabric. One that doesn't have sewn on sleeves. If you want to make a pattern for later use, lay the t-shirt onto wrapping paper and trace a pattern onto the wrapping paper making sure to add extra for the seam. Cut two pieces of fabric out. Lay the wrong sides together. If you want to pin the pieces together you can. Because this pattern is pretty straight forward I didn't pin my pieces together.

Start sewing by sewing the shoulders together. Then sew the sides together. 

Next sew your seams. I started with the bottom then the collar and sleeves. 

Here is the shirt I traced and the finished project.

I needed (wanted) to add something a little dressier to this t-shirt so I decided to add a tuxedo type ruffle. Measure how long you wand your ruffle to be. I wanted my finished ruffle to be approximately 14 inches so I cut my piece about 21 inches long. Fold a piece of fabric in half and cut a wave in the fabric the length you want. Cut a second piece about 1/2 inch smaller than the first piece. 

Ruffle each piece. 

Sew the larger ruffle piece onto the center front of the shirt. Then sew the second ruffle on top of the larger ruffle. After washing the ruffle will role a little bit. After I washed mine I ended up cutting the ruffle down. Try the shirt on and see how it looks. At first I felt the ruffles were jumping off of my chest!

Here's the finished product! 

Enjoy! 

How to Make a Sewing Pattern

I feel like I have been doing so much sewing this year. I have made lots of purses and I have made lots of skirts and shirts. Let me say that I do not like using patterns from the store. I have an attention problem when it comes to following the directions and being able to figure out what they are trying to say. So I have resorted to making my own patterns. Sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't! 

You don't need very many supplies when trying to make a pattern. Lots of times I take something lay it out,  measure it and trace it. If there is something about it I don't like I will adjust it when I am drawing. 

Basic supplies are needed. I use a yard stick, a tape measure, permanent marker, pencil, objects to trace, scissors and the most important part - wrapping paper. Yep, wrapping paper! Most wrapping papers have a grid on the back. The grid is in one inch squares and make it really easy to make patterns. In the picture above I was making a pattern for a purse. So I was using a plate to help make the rounded edges.

In this picture I have a t-shirt that has lots of stains on it that I really like. I like how it is tapered and only uses two pieces of fabric. No sleeves to sew on. So to make this pattern I one inch around the shirt to make the pattern to allow for a seam allowance. I have also done this with pencil skirts.

 When I am done making a pattern I write on it what it is and if needs be the instructions on how to sew it together. I haven't made a purse in a while. I think I will create a new one soon. But the shirt above was so easy to make that I will probably make a shirt or two before I get to another purse. Look for the shirt tutorial  coming up sometime this week. 

Up Cycled Bangle Bracelet

While recently shopping I saw some cute bangle bracelets that had flowers on them. I knew that I could make my own! And definitely for a lot less money! The best thing is that very few supplies are needed and you probably have them laying around. For this I used vinyl fabric, thread, scissors, needle, button or button maker and extra fabric if you want to make your own button and a flower pattern. These particular Bangle Bracelets are from Amate Studios. 

 Cut out flower pattern. Pin pattern onto vinyl fabric and cut. Cut two flowers of the same size.  

 Now with a crap piece of vinyl material you will make a button. Below are the pieces that come with a button kit. There is a round plastic piece that you will use to trace the fabric with. A top and a bottom to the button, a white piece that you will put the button in and a blue piece that you will use to push the pieces together. 

Use the round plastic piece to cut a piece of fabric out. 

Now you will start to layer the pieces to make the button. Put the fabric right side down on the table. Put the inside of the button (the rounded piece) on top of the fabric. Now you will put those two pieces into the white plastic. Now you will push the fabric pieces on top of the inside button piece and then put the outside piece of the button on top holding together. Now using the blue piece push the outside piece of the button down with firm pressure until the button is formed together. Pop out of the white piece and you have a button! 

 The final button! 

Layer the two flowers on top of each other so that the petals are alternating and not directly on top of each other. With the needle and thread starting in between the layers so that you don't see the end sew a circle (about where the white circle is)  in the center of the flowers and pull tightly like you are making a ruffle. Finish the stitch on the top side of the flowers and don't tie off the end yet. 

Now you will add the button to the top of the flower. The button loop isn't very big and might take a little bit of playing to get the button sewn on. Now you will start to sew the flower onto the bangle bracelet making sure to stitch in between the two layers of flowers so that you don't see the stitching on top.

Finish by tying a know in between the layers of the flower and cut the end off. 

Enjoy your flower bracelet! 

The teal flower was my trial and error one. I tried making it with sewing individual petals together. While you can't tell in the photo it is a much more flimsy flower and the button feels loose because of the flimsy base. 

Logo Polo Upcycled to Decorative T-Shirt

In Arizona April, May, September and October are wedding months. So the past month and a half I had wedding flowers to design every weekend on top of Easter, Secretaries Day and Mothers Day. Normally I work around 25 to 30 hours. Two week in a row I worked 60 hours each week. So no time to post and no time to create anything new. I actually designed this shirt back in March and I am finally at a point that I can post about it! (And hope that I remember how I did it)

So I have several polo shirts with logos on them that have been hanging in the back of my closet since I stopped working for the company. I knew I could upcycle them some how! So for this transformation I used 2 shirts. Start off by cutting the collar off of one of the shirts.

Next you will add this wonderful product called Steam-A-Seam 2. You will apply all the way around the edge of the collar of the shirt.

Next take off the backing of the Steam-A-Seam 2 and fold it over. Now you will use your iron to steam the seam. This will activate the adhesive and leave you with a nice finished edge. The Steam-a-Seam 2 helped the collar no not pucker when sewing and I didn't have to pin it down. Just for kicks I decided to sew a seam for a more finished look. 

Here is the finished look.

Now you will use the second shirt. First cut off the bottom edge. Next cut a 4 inch section out of the middle of the shirt. You will now have a tube/circle. Take the tube/circle and cut once to make a long strip.

Sew a Gathering stitch down the center of the strip leaving long threads at each end for gathering. 

Fold the strip in half with the stitch in the center. Using the bottom thread pull to gather the strip to make a ruffle. 

Pin the ruffle on the outside of the logo in a circle. Sew the ruffle to the shirt. Before you close the circle start to turn the ruffle 1/4 inch inside of the circle. At this point you will keep turning and sewing and turning and sewing till you get to the center of the flower. when you get to the center of the flower make a few back stitches to hold it in place. 

Here is the finished flower. Once I tried the shirt on I felt the flower was a little off centered. So I added another flower. 

After washing the shirt the flowers scrunched up a little bit and I could now see the edges of the logo. So I then stitched down the outer edge of the flower to hide the logo. I now look at shirts with logos at the thrift store a little differently and wonder what can I do to hide that logo. I hope you enjoy transforming one of your polo shirts into a t-shirt or covering up a logo just as much as I have!

Up Cycled Long Sleeve Shirt with Lace

I'm on the band wagon of Up Cycling T-Shirts lately. It's more of a wanting to update my wardrobe and not wanting to spend any money! I started with a long sleeve t-shirt and cut off the sleeves.

Then I cut a piece of lace to fit the inside of the neck line. I cut it square, pinned the lace to the inside of the shirt and trimmed the lace. Then I did a double stitch on the outside of the shirt so I would make sure the stitching looked right. Then I trimmed the lace closer to the stitching.

I almost left it like this. Then I decided to add a thin piece of lace around the sleeves. 

Pretty enough like this but then I decided to try and make the sleeve gathered. I started about 4 inched down from the shoulder by making a few stitches and back stitching. Then sewed a basting stitch down to the edge of the sleeve leaving a long tail of thread. 

I then pulled the bottom thread to gather the sleeve. 

Then take the top thread and thread it through to the bottom of the lace. Tie a few knots to secure the gathering. Cut the extra thread off.

Self portrait of the finished project, hence the cut off head and no smile! Which shirt will I do next?