t-shirt cutting series: a little racier
Now that you’ve learned the simple-cut you’re ready to get a little more daring with the shears (and your shirts).
Click on the picture to see full-size details!
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- Lay the t-shirt upside down on a flat surface.
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- Cut off the sleeves and neck. Click here for instructions.
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- Using a washable marker, pen or chalk, draw 6 or 7 inch lines, 1/2 inch apart.
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- Draw lines down the entire length of the t-shirt.
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- After the lines have been drawn, cut the shirt straight up the middle of the back.
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- Time to practice your kindergarden skills & cut along the lines.
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- Gently tug each cut strand to stretch and curl the fabric.
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- Knot the matching strands together to reconnect the t-shirt. If it’s a really oversized shirt, tie the strands closer together to make it more fitted.
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- Tie the matching strands the entire length of the t-shirt.
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- Once the knots are tied, you can try it on and make any adjustements. You might want to stop right here, it looks great, but let’s continue…
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- Tighten each knot, and then cut the excess fabric off, close to the edge of the knot.
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- Once you’ve cut off all excess fabric, try the shirt on and see how it looks!
Tips:
1. Make sure you use super sharp scissors. Sharp scissors make smooth effortless cuts.
2. Once you try on the shirt, you can make adjustments to the style and fit. For instance, if one section droops more than others, you can cut the knot and then retie it into a better shape.
3. The first few ties closest to the neck of the shirt usually need to be tighter, or closer together, than the middle and bottom sections of the t-shirt.
4. Cutting and retying your t-shirt with this style is a great way of making a huge shirt more slim fitting. To do this, just make wider lines across the back and tie the strands closer together.
5. To make a tight shirt looser, tie the strands together near the tips of the fabric, leaving less excess to cut off.
Have fun and play around with different different sized shirts and vary the width and length of the strips to create an effect all your own.
t-shirt chop shop
Last summer, when I was putting together a box of clothes to donate to the homeless shelter, I picked up a few ill-fitting T-shirts and got happy with the scissors. This summer, I’m bringing it to the blog.
Redesigning an old shirt with a few snips and knots is a great no-sew way to make the old new again. This project works best with over sized, frumpy, tight-necked, concert and even giveaway shirts (you know the ones you get for free from events that come in the one-size-fits-all poorly variety). It’s also a great way to jazz up your kids summer camp T’s.
I am going to start the post-series with a simple cut and work my way up to more intricate designs in the following lessons. This simple cut is also the starting point for other designs. So pay attention!!
Check out the images below for instructions, and please…
** click on the image to see full-size!! the thumbnails crop out details **
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- Start by laying the shirt out flat, upsidedown.
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- Locate a corner of the collar near the seam and make a cut straight through, stopping when you’ve cut through the collar.
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- Cut the collar of the shirt off, following along directly below the seam. Make smooth long cuts to avoid jagged edges.
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- Grab the corners of the neck by the seams and give a gentle outward pull.
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- Pulling the cut fabric makes a nice rolled edge.
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- Cut the sleeves on an angle, narrow near the armpit and wider on top.. like a little triangle.
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- Gently pull on the sleeves to curl the edges.
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- Cut along the bottom hem of the shirt under the stitched seam. If you trim under the stiching the shirt will not loose its shape.
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- Gently tug the bottom hem to curl. Done.
Once you’re done, try on your new creation to see how it looks!! You may decide to make a larger scoop of the neck for a little off-the-shoulder action, or you might grab another T and get snippin’… just remember to save some shirts for the next tutorial.
old clothes pillows
When clearing out the closet to make room for all the unbelievable after-holiday finds, be sure to put aside a few graphic-T’s and interesting fabrics for sewing projects like this one…
Old Clothes Pillows is also an amazing way to hang on to a part of a favorite old shirt, or kids outfit that is never going to fit again. Tween girls will love filling up their beds with these tiny little pillows, and boys can turn their favorite old sports shirts into team pillows. Sewing skills are required (but not professional!)
1. Using sharp scissors, cut out the shape you are going to use for the front of your pillow. Then, choose and cut a contrasting color or pattern for the pillow back.
2. Pin the fabric together inside-out, and then sew. We used our sewing machine (because practice is good) but, for the most part, these pillows are not that large and can also be sewn by hand. Be sure to leave an opening for stuffing the pillow
3. Flip your pillow case right-side-out and stuff! Since these were to toss around my house, I used poly-fill from an old (clean) dog bed. I also suggest shredding the remainder of the clothing fabric you did not use for stuffing or, stray sock stuffing.
4. Hand-sew the stuffing hole and you’re done! Enjoy! …but watch out, they’re totally addictive!
