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| Wearing my own T-Shirt altered with Fringe |
Make an Easy T-Shirt
by Susan Elliott
You can create a stylish and easy-to-make t-shirt with a minimum of effort by deconstructing an existing shirt to get a pattern.
A t-shirt's fabric pieces are sewn together using a basic zigzag stitch.
Homemade t-shirts can be constructed by crafters with all levels of sewing experience, and are a good beginning project when learning to sew.
Make An Easy T-Shirt
You will need:- T-shirt, well-fitting
- Scissors
- Parchment paper roll
- Pencil
- Permanent marker
- 2 yards jersey knit, any color
- Sewing pins
- Cotton thread
- Sewing machine
- Create an easy t-shirt pattern by first deconstructing a well-fitting t-shirt. Carefully cut down the center of each seam so that you have a back, front, a neckband and two sleeves. Set the individual t-shirt pieces aside.
- Trace the t-shirt pieces onto parchment paper to create a permanent t-shirt pattern. Add 1/4 inch around each piece, and 1/2 inch to the front and back pieces to allow for the seams. Cut the pieces from the paper. Make sure to write which piece is what with a permanent marker.
- Lay the jersey knit fabric onto a flat surface. Carefully pin each pattern piece to the knit with sewing pins. Cut the pieces out.
- Lay the right sides of the front and back of the t-shirt fabric together. Make sure the pieces are even at the shoulders. Sew one shoulder seam with a zigzag stitch with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
- Cut a neckband from the extra fabric. Measure the entire neck area. Cut a length of jersey knit equal to that measurement, 2 inches wide. Pin the neckband to the wrong side of the fabric.
- Sew the open shoulder seam together and sew the neckband to the top of the tshirt. Fold the neckband in half and sew it in place. Remove the pins.
- Open the shirt so that the right sides are facing upward. Pin the top of the t-shirt sleeves to the top of the arm area. Sew the tops of the sleeves in place and remove the pins. Allow for a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
- Fold the shirt, right sides together. Sew the side seams together on each side leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Make sure the seams run from the undersides of the arm sleeves all the way to the hem.
- Hem the garment. With the right sides together, turn the bottom of the shirt upward ½ inch and then fold it upward another ½-inch to create a hem. Sew the hem in place. Repeat this step on each sleeve.
One really cool thing about t-shirt material is that it doesn't ravel. So, you can even add fringe at the bottom of your shirt!
Deconstruct other shirt styles to create patterns. Make sure to use the same type of fabric the original shirt used. Have fun and experiment.
Check these cool websites for more ideas!
What kind of projects do you like to make out of t-shirt fabric?
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