Tutorial: T-Shirt to Gathered Back Tank

Here, we have a lovely NYC t-shirt that I have had for approximately 15 years (I'm not even exaggerating...notice the Twin Towers) and have worn approximately once. I've never actually been to NYC, but my dad brought this back for me after a business trip. It was too big for me when I was 9, and it's kind of a weird shape now, probably because it's a child's size large. I really like the graphic, though, so I decided to dig it out of my I'll-do-something-with-this-someday pile and turn it into a tank top with a gathered back detail. Here's how I did it...

First, cut off the neck and sleeves.

Next, cut the back of the neckline to match the front.

And cut the front of the neckline a little lower.

Next, flip the shirt over so the back is face up. Measure approximately 3.5 inches down from the neckline and cut a straight line all the way across the back layer. Be very careful not to cut the front layer in the process!

After folding down the lower part of the back to keep it out of the way, measure about 3 inches in from the edge of the shoulder, cut a tiny slit to mark the spot, then measure about 5 inches in from the edge of the back.

Cut a straight line from the 3 inch mark at the shoulder to the 5 inch mark at the back. Do this on both sides, then flip up the flaps you just created to get them out of the way. 

Cut a slightly curved line on the front of the shirt to create the armhole and get rid of the flap. Do this on both sides.

Now, you're going to gather the lower part of the back to make it the same length as the upper part. A normal sewing machine is perfect for this. If you don't have a sewing machine, you could do this by hand; it will just take longer.

First, set the stitch length on your sewing machine to basting length: long stitches. If your stitches are too short, it will be very hard to gather. Sew the first line of stitches about 3/4 inch from the edge, then sew the second line parallel to the first line and halfway between the first line and the edge of the fabric. Do not backstitch at the beginning or end of the stitching.

It should end up looking like this:

There will be 4 loose threads at each end: 2 on the top of the fabric and 2 on the bottom. Grab the 2 top threads and pull on them gently while holding the fabric. This will gather the fabric.

Continue gathering until the lower part of the back is the same length as the upper part. Once you have it the right length, even out the gathers and tie off the four loose threads on either side; this will keep your gathers in place while you sew.

Now, put the upper edge over the lower edge, overlapping just enough for the upper edge to cover both rows of gathering stitches, and pin in place.

Set the stitch length on your machine back to normal topstitching length. Sew two parallel rows of stitching to hold the back together securely. 

And there you have it: a new tank top with gathered back detail!

Skirt --> Pants

When I first saw this maxi skirt at Goodwill, my first thought was "PANTS."

I did wear it as a skirt a few times, but I couldn't get the pants idea out of my head. I was nervous to try because I had never attempted pants before and I wasn't sure how they would turn out. But I finally bit the bullet and just went for it.

I think they turned out pretty cool! And the best part is that the skirt was reversible, and I managed to figure out how to make the pants reversible too. So I now have two pairs of wide-leg hippie pants for the price of one skirt from Goodwill (approximately $3). Not a bad deal.

Vintage Lace Dress Restyle

Among the piles of old clothes my lovely coworker gave me was this awesome vintage lace dress:

It was almost perfect just the way it was, but the neckline and sleeves were a bit awkward and didn't fit me quite right. I needed a dress to wear to my bridal shower this summer, so I decided to attempt a restyle of this beauty. I basically took off the sleeves, redid the neck, and shortened it just a tad to make it a bit more modern.

And voila! Here's a picture of me wearing it at the bridal shower:

The T-Shirt Edition

Whenever I go to Goodwill, it's virtually impossible for me to leave the t-shirt section empty-handed. Men's section, women's section, or kid's section, I can always find something I adore. But they usually need a little work. Simply re-sizing them is always an option, but sometimes I like to get a bit more creative. Today I'm showing you four different ways that I've modified Goodwill t-shirts.

For these first two, no sewing was required: I just grabbed my scissors and started cutting.

The tribal print on this grey beauty just called out for fringe. So I shredded the sleeves and hem, and voila: fringe.

This one was an experiment: some of my favorite creations have come out of times when I literally just started cutting with no real plan in mind.

It became this loose tunic-y tank-y thing which I love.

This awesome gem came from the kid's department. Some little boy outgrew his favorite action hero, so I became the hero and rescued Indiana Jones from The Temple of Goodwill. 

This is now my favorite "Look at me, I'm a tough girl" shirt.

Finding this Beatles t-shirt at Goodwill? Good.

Turning it into this tank top? Better.

And there you have it, folks. Four t-shirts, four completely different re-styles. 

Sweater --> Legwarmers

One of my lovely coworkers at the Carnegie Center was downsizing her wardrobe and gave me 4 huge bags of clothes to play with. Best gift ever. One of the items was this sparkly gold sweater:

Which is awesome, but not quite my style. However, we were having an event at the aforesaid Carnegie Center where all the staff were supposed to wear gold and black (it was winter, btw...this post is way late), and I had plenty of black but no gold. 

Hence, the legwarmers:

I don't want to say they were the life of the party, but they were definitely a hit.