TRASHION: How to make a long halter tunic from a t-shirt

So, I made one of these a bit ago, and EVERYONE wanted to know how to make their own. So, in honor of the Trashion trunk show/art party (happening here on Friday, July 27 from 6-8PM), here it is, guys. All you need is a t-shirt, scissors, thread, and a sewing machine (and you could prolly do it by hand if you want). Arright, let's begin!

Here's the "before"

1. With the tee inside out, stitch the sleeves closed.

2. Cut off the top in a straight line, just below the neck band. Cut off the sleeves, leaving about 3/8" seam allowance.
3. Try the shirt on inside out. Pin the sides to fit.

4. Sew along where you've fitted, all the way to the top edge, and backstitch.

5. Trim the seam allowance to 3/8". Press the seams open.

6. Turn the shirt to the correct side. Make two tiny holes (it will stretch) near the top of the shirt for the straps.

7. Cut off the hem and string through the holes. Tie several knots on each side to hold.

AND DONE!

to get to the Etsy Labs for the Trashion show!

325 Gold St. 6th Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Learn more here: http://etsylabs.blogspot.com/2007/07/trashion-last-fridays-trunk-show-july.html

T Shirt Party Photos!

What a blast our T Shirt Party was this Sunday! Thanks to everyone who came out in the rain. We know you're all probably dying to see the pictures we took so here's the link to our flickr page where we've posted them. Hooray!

T-Shirt Reconstruction: Installment III

Ok, I can feel the momentum building for our T Shirt Making Party on Sunday. We just had a nice shoot for ABC News this morning and I got to finish this shirt during filming. Here's how to proceed:

Start by cutting the bottom 2 inches off the sleeves of a regular t-shirt.



Then cut the rest of the sleeves off.



Then cut a scoopneck.



Then place darts around the bottom, three in the front and two in the back. Be sure you measure around your hips (where the bottom of the shirt will sit) to prevent making the shirt too small.



Cut the darts out and pin the fabric right sides together to sew the darts closed.



Sew about 1/4" from the edge of the pinned fabric. Backstitch at the bottom of the darts. At the apex of the darts you can leave the thread long and tie it in a knot to secure your stitches.



The darts should look like this when they are done (this is the inside of the shirt).



Next, take the 2" strips you cut off the sleeves and cut them in half so they form two strips. Sew the strips together to form one long strip.



Sew the two ends of the strip right sides together to form a circle. This will become the band at the bottom of your shirt. Pin the band to the shirt right sides together and sew a line of stitches all around.



Your shirt should look like this now:



For the trim I used strips of fabric that I folded and then sewed onto the shirt. To get the v-neck I pinched the bottom of the scoopneck to make a triangle and sewed a straight line on the inside (much like a dart) to hold it in place. The circles I also simply cut out and sewed directly onto the shirt. This is your chance to get creative - viva la craft! See you Sunday!

Go Make Yourself Something Nice

Hey, I don't know about you but I am so totally over winter. It's not quite warm here in New York yet, but it's coming. To take your mind off the persistent cold and get ready for the season of swelter I've prepared this halter top tutorial.

Start off with a simple t-shirt. I used plain white but you can use prints or anything you like. Cut off the bottom 12 inches of the shirt to create the bottom half of the garment. Then, cut 2 triangles from the remaining top half. The triangles should about two inches wide at the shoulder and nine inches long across the chest. You can cut them both at the same time by cutting through both layers of the shirt.



Set your sewing machine to a basting stitch length (usually around 4 on most machines). Baste the nine inch long sides of both triangles (basting can also be done by hand.) Gather the fabric by pulling one piece (not both) of basting thread on each triangle. The pieces should shrink from nine inches to about six.



Once you have your pieces gathered, pin them to the twelve inch bottom piece (right sides together) as shown. There should be about one inch between the two triangle pieces.



Set your machine to a regular stitch length (about 2) and sew the triangles to the bottom piece. Now you have your basic top. You can customize it in a number of ways. Lengthen the halter straps by cutting strips from leftover fabric and sewing them onto the triangle tops. If the bottom part is too large, you can make it smaller by cutting down the middle of center back and sewing it back up a few inches smaller. You can also make the back into an adjustable tie closure simply by cutting down center back and tying the two pieces together. Get creative and have fun! Let us know if you come up with any other variations, or send us pictures of your completed tops! We are having a T Shirt Making Party here at the Labs on Sunday April 15th at 3PM. Bring your old t-shirts and we can show you how to transform them into cool pieces you'll actually want to wear!