A repost for your Saturday…..
I’ve introduced you to Virginia before. She’s our seamstress around here.
Virginia has been delving into the art of T-Shirt makeovers! It’s pretty neat that, for pennies on the dollar, you can go to your local Goodwill, pick out a t-shirt from the multitude hanging on the racks, and transform it into an integral and lovely part of your wardrobe!
There are ingenious ways to use simple t-shirts that are too tight, too big, too low or just too plain! We want to share with you some links and some photos of creative ways used to enhance your wardrobes.
Here is Gin’s Pinterest Page if you would like to follow along on her journey.
Here is a tutorial on Shirring. You will see what can be done with this technique in our picture gallery.
This is a Sizzix machine and here is a tutorial on using one. The price is variable on these machines (depending on what quality you want) so one doesn’t have to invest a ton in it. Virginia uses hers to cut shapes out of material (examples in the gallery) and she also uses it on scrapbooking paper to make some lovely flowers on top of my rosary/jewelry boxes.
Before you look at our little gallery I have one more website to share that I just stumbled on. It is called Tea Rose Home. You may notice that her home page has interior decoration projects but stop and look at some of the side links!! This woman has some wonderful tutorials on makeovers from Thrift Store purchases…tutorials on making a ruffled t-shirt out of two simple t-shirts, a t-shirt makeover with some lovely simple flowers, a pleated pretty shirt with buttons, a fabric flower and revamping a sweater into a “garden of flowers” cardigan! There is more so have fun with this site…I think you will get much inspiration from it!
Do you have any favorite websites to share to help us along our sewing venture? We’d love to hear about them!
The following gallery has examples of Virginia’s projects that maybe can inspire you to try some yourself. Lately I have been the lucky recipient of most of these makeovers, so my t-shirts that have been sitting too long in my drawer have come to life once again! Click on the first picture to view gallery.
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- Virginia took extra material off the bottom of this t-shirt and twisted it to add spice to the collar. Her Sizzix machine was used to make the flowers.
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- This is called “shirring” and is done with elastic thread. It definitely adds a touch and makes the t-shirts look tailored, don’t you think?
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- Theresa is modeling her new little jacket. This was a simple t-shirt that was cut down the middle, hemmed and then embellished with the lovely flower.
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- Just taking a normal t-shirt and cutting it down the middle makes a lovely, light cardigan for that layered look that is so classy!
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- Shirring at the top adds a decorative touch to a shirt that was too saggy at the neckline.
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- This t-whirt was too small and now I can wear it again!
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- This started off as a too-tight button-up shirt.
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- Shirring for the tailored look (done with elastic thread).
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- Lace-ups on the front so you can adjust it.
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- And then gives it that tailored look with a little Shirring.
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- This was a simple t-shirt, rather box-like (the kind guys wear) and Virginia cut it down the middle and attached a ribbon on the top to tie it together. She used a hook and eye for the closure at the top.
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- This was a t-shirt I planned on giving away. It was too saggy and too low.
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- Virginia took 2 plain yellow t-shirts and transformed them into this!
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- Fabric Flowers!
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- Shirring on the back.
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- Lovely, Lovely flowers made with the Sizzix machine. The flowers are cut out in graduated smaller sizes, individually hand-sewn one on top of each other and the pearls added at the last.
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- Just a simple red t-shirt, cut down themiddle, hemmed, ribbon and frill added. It make such a cute overlay and so easy!
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- This t-shirt I got at Good will. Once again, it was altered to make a cute jacket.
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- This was a stained t-shirt that Gin cut off, using the cut-off material for the ruffle. Then she added the skirt by shirring the top of a square piece of material.
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- My pile of t-shirts awaiting makeovers. It’s up to me now, so they may be waiting a loo-o-ong time as Gin is on to bigger and better things… 🙂
I have some sleeves I tried this on and it turned out pretty good. However, it can easily take too much material and have diagonal pulls on sleeves and other areas where it it used partially instead of fully like on a waistband. One lady recommended to leave thread tails instead of back stitching. You can then gently pull out some of the excess thread if too much was gathered and she also recommended taking the top and bottom thread as one on the wrong side and knotting them together. She said she had too many items come apart because the back stitching does not hold well from repeated use. 🙂 It is a really cool affect though and one to have fun with. 🙂