Babies (Take 2) : T-Shirt to Onesie

So many babies! Seriously, they are everywhere. Like I said before, but it bears repeating, I have 10+ local friends who are expecting little ones right now. People are making jokes about the water at church. But I'm pretty sure that babies aren't a result of water-drinking. I believe there are a few more steps than that. :)

Anyways, I've made some little crochet thingys for the upcoming munchkins, I even tried my hand at a sweater. (I didn't take any pictures of that. It is yet to be seen if it will actually fit on a baby. I just kinda made the pattern as I went.) But no more relying on the old crochet hook for baby gifts. I've hit baby gift gold: I'm making sassy adult t-shirts into awesome baby onesies.

Some of the initial inspiration came from online and on Pinterest, but I didn't find a pattern I liked well enough to follow. (But, admittedly, I've never been too great at following directions. I like to make my own way.) So my pattern consisted of cutting apart a cheap onesie from the dollar store and using it as a template. 

I literally used a seam ripper to deconstruct the thing then cut the shirts using those pieces as a guide. Fortunately, the fit of baby wear is much more forgiving than women's wear. No darts or pleats in this get up.

 

Overall, it is about a 1.5 hour task per onesie (after I got the hang of it all). The particular challenges of making a onesie from a t-shirt? 

1. The bias tape takes time. I did all the cutting for several shirts and then set up my ironing station in front of a tv to make the tape. It's work intensive, but the final product looks so much more finished as a result. It isn't necessary to have a double fold tape as the inside raw edge is barely visible and you zig-zag stitch right over it. And also, I totally cheated and didn't cut the fabric on a bias. Because the t-shirt cotton material pretty much has a 4-way stretch, it works either way. But if you want to know how to do it properly you can find all kinds of online info.
2. T-shirt knit is kinda wonky. The more patient you are as you sew, the better.
3. Two words: neck hole. Babies have big heads on the tops of their little bodies, and so baby shirts have these wonderful layered necklines for easy in-and-outs. The trick is remembering which layer is on top and which is on the bottom as you sew. 
4. Snaps are a really awesome invention. They just take a bunch of banging, so make sure you do this step during waking hours so you don't bug your neighbors. Also, make sure you only put snaps on the bias tape. A single layer of t-shirt fabric can't withstand the constant tugging a snap will promote. Be sure to snap and un-snap them a whole lot to test their strength and wear them in before you give the onsie as a gift. 

It's now my plan to start collecting crazy t-shirts from my frequent thrift store hunts. Of course, the size of a baby limits how large the design can be. But I know there are some ridiculous onesies to be made from reject t-shirts. All my pregnant buddies had better prepare themselves for the awesome. Their babies are going to be the hippest ever in these suckers.

If there's some interest in more-detailed instructions, order of construction, or an attempt at a pattern- please comment to let me know and I'll see what I can come up with.

Men's Shirt Refashion: The Candy Striper

Another lazy Monday inside. I spent my morning asleep, my afternoon in my pajamas cleaning and lazing, and my evening altering a shirt and watching Doris Day in "Pajama Games"... while STILL in my pajamas. 

I used some elements of my last alteration project on this shirt. But it's a very different final product. Somewhat more girly, lace will do that. I never was much of a girly girl growing up. I hated the color pink until my mid-teens. Now, I'd consider myself a fairly feminine gal- at least in my dress. I wear a lot of skirts and I tend to "dress up" more often than the average person.

• As in the last shirt project, I started with cutting off the sleeves just along the seam. 
• I sewed up the front of the shirt ala the other shirt as well. (I have found I really like the look of the open holes and the unused buttons. It's a quirky detail. This also allows for a looser fit and makes the shirt easier to slip over the head.)

• I took in the arm holes to fit me. For me, this was about 1.5 in into the arm seam then tapered out. A lot of my alterations are made by making slight changes and then trying the shirt on again. This works well and assures a good final fit. (This picture was of my original step. I ended up straightening out the seam to eliminate buckling, but you can get the idea of this step from the picture, at least.)

• Cut out the neck how you like, of course. This might be nice with a V-neck or a square neck. I like big open necks. I used my trusty hatbox as a tool to mark the cut lines. (I ended up deepening the scoop after these initial pictures. Now, I wonder if I should have. I may need to wear a tank under it if I wear it to work.)

• I gave the back of the neck a little scoop to make the neck look more finished. 

• Put in some side slits. Mine were 5 in and hit somewhere near my hip just above the widest point. 

• Hem over the edges of the slits, the neck and the sleeves.
• Tack on some lace around the neck. I doubled the lace in the front scoop to give a little more coverage. The back of the neck has only one layer of lace trim.

•  The final step was to create a belt so that the shirt had a more fitted look even though it is comfy and loose. I used fabric from one of the sleeves to make a tube of fabric to be the belt. (I used this awesome pinterest tip to turn my tubes right side out. Holy moly this made it sooo easy. Usually I hate this step.) Had I thought my shirt out ahead of time, I would have sewn the belt into the side seams. Instead, I made a little slit and sewed it in just behind.

  
This shirt has a dressy look to it, with a little extra girly frill. But it's also a simple and functional top for hot weather days like today. I also like the candy striper look. It's kinda like a dress-up costume, except I can wear it whenever.

The Phoenix Shirt - To the Scrap Bin & Back

You know that feeling when you have nothing to wear? I know you do. Well, I was feeling that the other day. It was hot and sticky, and my jersey tanks weren't gonna cut it for the comfort OR the cute. I considered taking on another structured alteration ala my last pinterest shirt project. But I didn't have the time or patience for a long project. That's when I stumbled across an old tattered, too small, rejected button up shirt of mine at the bottom of my scrap bin. 

The primary reason I no longer wore the shirt was some unfixable holes along the neck line. But the other problem areas are slightly more universal. I outgrew the shirt. I mean, I got a bit pudgy for it. Or maybe it shrunk, but let's get real. The sleeves were too tight and puckering. The front buttoned but not well or without gapping. Basically, it wasn't a flattering shirt.

I wore this shirt to tatters sometime around 2007 and then loved it so much I couldn't part with it so I folded it and stored it where all beloved patterns wait to become quilt squares. Thank goodness I never got around to dissecting the shirt for parts. Turns out, it has plenty of life left in it. And the redesign was simple. (SO simple.) And only took about ten minutes from start to wear. (if that)

There are three easy steps to redesign any slightly snug, neck-tattered, button-up shirt into a breezy summer tank. 

1. Cut the sleeves off. Be careful not to cut the seam off. This will keep fraying from happening. I decided against finishing this edge, but you can if you wanna take the time. (Yeah, this step is silly easy.)

2. Sew the shirt up the middle. (Warning: this won't work if your shirt is WAY too small for you, just if it's snug and gapping.) Just turn it inside out and sew the button side to the button hole side- good sides in. I only left a little seam allowance -maybe a 1/4 inch- to make sure the shirt was as loose as possible. 

3. Cut out the neck. I used an old hatbox as a template for cutting out the neckline. A mixing bowl could serve the same purpose. For this project, I just cut the front and back the exact same way. The result is a loose, sometimes over the shoulder, tank. You can leave the back straight across or cut it less deep if you want the neck to retain more structure.

So now I have this great pull-over style cotton shirt for the hot summer weather. I'm happy to have given this old favorite new life. It makes me wonder how many other gems I have waiting to be re-envisioned in my drawers and closet.

Swinging with my Singer in the Spring

I've had a good time getting reacquainted with my old fold-away Singer sewing machine these past few weeks. It had been packed away in my parent's garage for several years while I was a more transient person. I was certain that when I unwrapped it I would discover spider's nests and rusted pieces. But then, I hooked her up and tried a straight stich. To my suprise, besides a little burning oil smell (much like the sweet Christmas odor of my dad's old Lionel Train set), the thing runs fine! 

I have to say, I had missed the bobbin winder on this thing - it does it right in place! No moving the bobbin around. I love the ease. Now, the feeders and the needle alignment could use some improvement. It might be time for a Sewing Machine Doctor visit.

I've enjoyed making a mess of my craft room lately. It is a wonderful luxury to have a space that I've reserved for creating things. I'm doing a decent job of keeping the projects confined so the room can also be functional for guests.

After the hubbub of Easter dissipated, I took on a project I had been eyeing on Pinterest. I don't really do racer-back shirts, though so I tweaked the concept and tried (operative word is TRIED) to use a good fitting tank as a loose template to shape the men's shirt into a blousey tank. In my eagerness to make something in a short window of time, I didn't consider the difference in fabric enough and the result was a tiny tiny vest that didn't close in the front. After adding a back panel constructed from left over sleeve pieces and under arm gussets I finally had a shirt that fit- but it isn't all that blousey. I enjoyed making the bias tape for the edging, it really gave it a finished feeling. I also added a little hook and eye between the 2nd and 3rd buttons to prevent gaping.

I think the final look is still pretty cute - if not a little bit Amishly modest. The added panel and gussets actually give it some neat structural details. I've already worn the shirt once, with a belt. I think it will be nice to have a few of this type of shirt for the summer. Breezy and loose. I like the sound of it. I also like the sound of summer.

As I was dismembering the men's button up shirt for this project I kept the collar intact. I wondered if I could pull it off as a necklace. I don't know. It might require a certain amount of fashion confidence to pull off in public but it was fun to fiddle with in private. I think I like the skewed look, personally. It has a scarf feeling with more structure.

A work friend of mine and his wife just had their 3rd child and first girl, Shiloh. I spent the last couple evenings hunching over something cute for them. I want to give it to him first before I spread pictures of it on here. So get ready for cute. Feels good to be making things. God sure gave me some fun talents to keep me busy.