A New Wearer of Clothes: 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.