Winter T-Shirt Refashion to Summer T-shirt with Ruffles

I bought two long sleeved t-shirts for my daughter in March after they were marked down at Target.  I think I paid around $2.50 each for them.  Don't you just L.O.V.E. Target.  They are the only store were you can really see how much you have saved and they cycle through their clothes so well that if you are patient you will always fine great things marked down each week.  Anyway back to my refashion tutorial.  Sorry I only have the end result pictures, I forgot to bring my camera to work today. :-(

This is what the original long sleeved t-shirt looked like:

My sweet girl peep on St. Patrick's Day this year at our beautiful zoo.

Materials needed:

Long sleeved T-shirt

Matching thread

Sewing machine

Scissors

Instructions:

1. Decided where you want to cut your shorter sleeve. On the green t-shirt I cut them just above her elbow.  With the extra two long sleeve pieces you have left cut along the serged edge and throw away the serged pieces, also cut off the hemmed cuff.  

2. Next lay out your sleeve flat (it may curl up a little, flip it over),  Start cutting strips down the lenght of your fabric.  Cut whatever width you want.  For the green t-shirt I cut mine around 1 1/2 inches wide and for the Orange t-shirt 1 inch wide.

3.  Lay the fabric pieces out and stitch end to end together so you create a long strip of fabric. Trim all threads.  Trust me it doesn't have to be perfect and the ends don't have to match perfectly when you sew them together.

4.  Set your sewing machine to gather (I have an old machine so for me I set it to the biggest stitch and the highest tension)  The fabric will gather itself as you sew.

5.  After your strip is gathered, adjust the gathering to your liking and pin around edge of new sleeve.  

6.  Reset your machine to regular stitch and guide the sleeve around as you stitch on the gathering.  I overlap my ruffle at the end.  (Also I start at the sleeve seam)

The beauty of knit is that is doesn't ravel so you don't need to really hem any part of this shirt.

I love how the orange t-shirt turned out, I am so happy I cut the complete sleeve off.  NOTE: If you decided to cut the sleeve off completely, cut just beside the serged edge so you have the nice edge underneath.

Check out me easy 1 Step Tutorial  for the mock double layer winter t-shirts.

~Happy Sewing~

I am halfway through getting the tutorial ready for the fabric flowers; should be ready by Sunday evening.  You can check out the finished flowers HERE.

Please join to follow my blog, I am 2 away from 100 followers!! My goal by the end of the Summer was to have 100 followers, looks like I am hitting my goal early, thanks so much to everyone!!  100 might not seem a lot to many people but I am thrilled!~

YEA THANKS SO MUCH LADIES I'm at 103 followers!!!!!!!!!

Link Parties:

Upcycle/Recycle a Winter Shirt to a Summer Shirt! (Easy 1 Step Tutorial)

I have been making shorts for my little boy peep all last weekend and have also been cleaning out his closest and pulling out all the winter clothes and seeing what needed to be packed away for next winter.  Then I had a revelation! 

A clothing revelation, why not make all of the winter shirts into summer shirts.  All the t-shirt are the same weight as the summer shirts in the stores so they wouldn't be any heavier or hotter.

I adore these cute mock double layer shirts. Guess how easy it is to make them a summer t-shirt?

1 Step:
Turn the t-shirt inside out and cut as close to the serged edge as you can get without cutting any of the stitching!  30 seconds later you have a t-shirt for summer!

T-shirt turned inside out.  The serged edged has both the blue and orange fabric sewn together.  But the upper t-shirt is hemmed about 1/2 inch longer than where they are serged together.  Make sense?  It will, keep going....--->

Cut just along the inside edge of the blue fabric.  The upper t-shirt is just long enough to cover what is left of the blue fabric.  No seam ripper needed and no sewing needed!

You can't even see the blue knit fabric from the outside once the sleeve is cut off.

I did the same to this t-shirt.

I'm also going to cut his regular long sleeved winter shirts and hem the sleeves to short sleeve. 

 That will take a little longer to do than this super easy 1 Step upcycle/recycle. 

All of the cute boy shorts I have made will be coming up soon! 

~Happy sewing~

Parties I'm linked to:

Halloween Craft : Upcycle

I can't begin to tell you how much I adore Autumn. Ok, well maybe I have already told you a few times on my blog. I love the cool crisp air. I love the smells, I love the colors, I love everything about this time of year. Truthfully I look forward to this time of year ALL year long. I do, I really do!

Want to see my latest Halloween craft?

I had all these supplies on-hand so this project cost me nothing to make! Look around and find supplies you already have. I know you crafty ladies have tons of great things in you stash! It feel good to use what I already have and my pocketbook is happy too!

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Gather your supplies:

Used metal food can from last nights dinner (washed up and all sparkly clean)

Ribbon, trims, scrapbook paper, metal wire (coat hanger, copper)
(2) metal brads
Stickers
Felt
Needle-nose pliers
Hot glue gun
Craft Glue
Wooden laundry clips
You can pick any number of crafting supplies to decorate your metal can. I pulled all of my halloween supplies I thought I might use so I could see what worked best together.

Step 1: Drill two holes through the can on opposite side (this is for you handle)

Step 2: Pick your ribbon and either use hot glue or craft glue to adhere to can.

Step 3: Keep adding layers of ribbon up your can (You can use different color ribbon too)

Step 4: Pick your top layer of trim. I had this great eyelash trim from a past tote I made.

Step 5: I used craft glue on the eyelash trim and learned very quickly that it needed help staying in place, so I secure it with wooden clips. (Hot glue worked better and 100% faster)

Another layer of trim, leftover from some Halloween overalls I made my daughter 3 years ago.

I was smarter the second layer and used hot glue!

Step 6: Push metal brads through holes, hammer backs of brads into place.

Step 7: Start adding more decorations, ribbon felt cutouts, buttons, whatever you have! Step 8: Pick what you want to use for your handle, most likely you have metal hangers hiding somewhere in you closets. I used old copper from our recycle bucket at work from an old refrigeration unit.

NOTE: I twisted the ends of the copper before I put it through the holes in the can. Do NOT do this step before you pull it through the holes. Like me you will have a very difficult time twisting it through the small openings! Learn from experience.

Step 9: After you handles are added, cut out a round of felt and add it to the bottom to finish it off.

Step 10: Add the final touches: I added ribbon to the handle from my ribbon scrap bag. I only had a few pieces of solid green and orange dot and I mixed it with my purple ribbon.

It really came out very cute.

 

What do you think?

I love saving cans and making crafts out of them. I made this "upcycle" can for an up and coming local fair I'm entering.

Another crafty idea: I have made the Halloween cans where you sponge paint orange/black and yellow on the outside and paint a cute JackO Lantern face on one side. Loved doing those but I want to up the ante a little a really WOW the judges a little more than just adding some paint to the can. I will let you know how I do in the craft competition.

Check out the Thursday party over at 'Strut your stuff'

 

Check out the Friday Party at Remodelaholic & Chic On A Shoestring!