Monday, August 12

Chop It Down and Stitch It Up: A T-Shirt Refashion

Believe it or not, I'm a t-shirt girl through and through.  I wasn't always, though.  Before I could sew, I hated t-shirts. Finding a good (cute) fitting t-shirt was hard for me, and honestly, I had written them off for quite a while.  Now that my sewing machine and I are on good terms, I never pass up a cute tee.  If it doesn't fit, I just chop it down and stitch it up until it does.

Both of these shirts came from Olivia Mew's shop Stay Home Club (cuz she's the best and makes the best everything).  The one on the left started out the same size as the one on the right.  Here's how to size it down:

Turn your tee inside out and cut where I've shown.  Don't just cut the sleeves off, but make sure and completely get rid of the seam.  We'll create a new one.

I stitched this shirt with white thread so you could see where I sewed it.  Not only did I stitch the arm holes a little smaller (we don't want it to look like a workout tee), I did size down the body slightly.  I always leave my edges raw when resizing tees, but you can definitely hem the edges if you want a more professional looking result.  I personally like the way a cut-up t-shirt looks.

And now I'd like to go off on a DIY rabbit-trail for just a moment...

I used to hate sewing with a machine before I bought a reliable one.  It seemed like my sewing machine always needed something fixed or oiled or tweaked, and it made sewing seem like a chore.  Now that I have a machine that's easy to use and easy to troubleshoot, I really enjoy sewing projects.  I get a lot of questions about my machine (it's a Brother CS6000i) and how I like it, so I'll just tell you now:  thumbs up.  

If you're interested in either of these t-shirts you can find them over at Stay Home Club.  Happy sewing!


30 comments:

  1. CareAugust 12, 2013 at 12:52 AM

    Darling! Love what you did with it. Keep up the creativity!

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  2. Haley TitusAugust 12, 2013 at 12:53 AM

    Thanks for sharing! I have a camo tee sitting on my chair waiting to be chopped up!

    Colour Me Classic

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  3. Valentina DuracinskyAugust 12, 2013 at 2:34 AM

    what a cute way to restyle a t-shirt...

    Valentina
    Valentina Duracinsky Blog
    -- Facebook Page

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  4. AnonymousAugust 12, 2013 at 4:07 AM

    oooh, love this! one to remember!

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  5. Damaris // The cat, you and usAugust 12, 2013 at 4:28 AM

    Thanks for the sewing tips! I will definitely use them, as so many times I find t-shirts that I love but do not have the fit I would like! :)

    I have a Singer sewing machine, also quite happy about it! (although I should use it way more than I do right now...)

    Damaris
    The cat, you and us

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  6. taraAugust 12, 2013 at 4:59 AM

    That sewing machine is THE BEST! I have it and I love it.

    Also, that t shirt with the face totally reminds me of the online comic toothpastefordinner. Hilarious.

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  7. Mia MaleneAugust 12, 2013 at 8:41 AM

    That is exactly why I don't enjoy sewing anymore. My old (and really good) machine broke down a few years ago and while I was freaked out because of the fact I couldn't afford to buy a new one, I ended up buying a cheaper version and sadly it doesn't function very well. It does make sewing, like you said, a chore. Not fun. Perhaps I should invest in a new and better one like you! :)

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  8. E.C. AndersonAugust 12, 2013 at 9:09 AM

    Oh man, thanks for this! I've done things like this, but it never seemed to look right. I never thought to sew down the sides to fit it better!

    http://cuddlyasacactus.wordpress.com/

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  9. JaneAugust 12, 2013 at 9:55 AM

    love this!!

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  10. AnonymousAugust 12, 2013 at 10:20 AM

    This DIY is so so fun!

    Xo, Hannah

    sweetsweetnoir.net

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  11. petal and plumeAugust 12, 2013 at 11:32 AM

    brilliant job! i love your denim too!
    xx

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  12. DianaAugust 12, 2013 at 11:43 AM

    Just bought two tshirts from Stay Home Club, and now I know exactly what to do with them!

    xo
    Diana
    http://unusuallylovely.com

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  13. UnknownAugust 12, 2013 at 11:47 AM

    I have the Brother X-5 sewing machine and for my first machine it's simple and a dream to use. :) Thanks for sharing this, I've got a few shirts I want to make sleeveless but I was worried I'd mess the shirts up until I saw this! :)

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  14. BeccaAugust 12, 2013 at 12:56 PM

    Super cute. I'm definitely glad that I'm able to alter clothes. It's a good skill to have!

    -Becca
    Ladyface Blog

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  15. juni // hej juniAugust 12, 2013 at 12:58 PM

    ah I love stay home club t shirts! and I do the same thing to all my t shirts, always always chopping the sleeves off!

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  16. UnknownAugust 12, 2013 at 1:14 PM

    Great little tutorial! Love it! Tee shirts can be so "hit-or-miss". This is great! :)


    http://sometimesgracefully.com

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  17. Gwen - SpaceLifeThoughtsAugust 12, 2013 at 1:49 PM

    Awesome! I wish I could sew. Maybe I need to invest in a sewing machine and learn it myself :)

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  18. Hips Like CinderellaAugust 12, 2013 at 2:18 PM

    Great diy tutorial! The t shirt is so cute! x

    http://hipslikecinders.blogspot.co.uk/

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  19. Lucy HudsonAugust 12, 2013 at 2:47 PM

    Just finished chopping up a t-shirt that I've never felt right in, and now I can wear it again! Thank you!

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  20. The Freckled MaskAugust 12, 2013 at 6:55 PM

    I have a drawer full of tshirts I don't wear anymore. Maybe I should try cutting them up.

    Adorable shoes, btw!

    http://www.thefreckledmask.com/

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  21. KellieAugust 12, 2013 at 7:22 PM

    Such a cute idea, I love it and will definitely have a try with this!

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  22. UnknownAugust 12, 2013 at 7:55 PM

    I love her designs! Been eyeing the no new friends shirts for a bit... Maybe after the wedding I'll place an order!!

    Heather
    southernnort.com

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  23. UnknownAugust 12, 2013 at 8:25 PM

    This is so cute! I am terrible with sewing machines, but maybe it's because I don't have a good one. I once sewed straight through my thumb nail in high school home ec sub sewing and home crafts (it was an elective). Seriously my teacher was like how did you do that? I failed all the sewing parts except buttons, but I was awesome with the hot glue gun.

    Mana
    Fashion and Happy Things

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  24. ohsorosieAugust 13, 2013 at 3:52 AM

    Great tutorial Katie, so simple as well :)
    Rosie x | Every Word Handwritten

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  25. AnonymousAugust 14, 2013 at 5:20 AM

    So simple and cute! Love it!

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  26. Hanna LeiAugust 15, 2013 at 7:10 PM

    I LOVE what you did with this shirt. -Hanna Lei

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  27. AnonymousAugust 22, 2013 at 11:26 AM

    This is very creative and resourceful. Make your own designs from old shirts and make it for new style is perfect. Thank you for sharing this idea. Two thumbs up!

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  28. UnknownAugust 22, 2013 at 12:21 PM

    Cool! I can make use of this tutorial on some of my old casual wear shirts to make it on style these days. I love it.

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  29. UnknownAugust 30, 2013 at 5:15 PM

    I love your idea, I do have a tie dye shirt with me however I just don't have the sewing machine and I don't know how to do it with hands. Hope you can share some that doesn't new to do much of sewing. I'll keep following your post. Thanks.

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  30. calvinewersNovember 27, 2015 at 1:09 AM

    I stitched this shirt with white thread so you could see where I sewed it. http://www.mundocosturas.es/maquinas-de-coser/maquinas-de-coser-guia-definitiva/

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