Transforming a Regular T-shirt into a Bib Ruffle Tee

Today starts a period of Stash-Busting... which actually means I really can't afford to buy more fabric or craft supplies so I had better use what I have. Now I know I'm the only one with this problem, so bear with me.

A while ago, I bought 4 USA Olympic t-shirts on clearance...no one wants them as is. On top of this, they have rather large designs on the front. If I'm going to revamp them, a little fabric flower just isn't gonna cut it. Fortunately, there are 2 sets of matching designs.

Set #1 Blue and Black Skiing Shirt



You see my problem.

There are many blogs out there, showing beautiful t-shirt makeovers starting with a relatively design-free shirt (check out "Adventures in Dressmaking" and "Tea Rose" in my links to the right).  The tees I have, however, are almost all silk-screen design.

So how can I make a stylish garment from a regular ol' boxy (men's!) t-shirt? Let's just say, lucky for me ruffles are en vogue this season.

1.) First I cut one tee, about an inch below the armpits.



2.) I then cut the bottom chunk into 2 1/2 inch strips. Since these strips are actually circles, I made a cut on each of them at the side to make long, flat, one layer strips.

**Save the top portion of the t-shirt as well as half the strips for another makeover**



3.) Using a gathering stitch on one side of the long strips, I made ruffles.



4.) Play with the neckline. The usual neckline isn't über flattering or feminine, so I cut off the collar and made a cut down the center front, as well as at the shoulders.



[caption id="attachment_220" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="When I stitched it down, I folded the back collar in and the front collar out"][/caption]

5.) I played around with the arrangement of the ruffles, and decided on a bib style. I then pinned and sewed the ruffles down to the shirt.



I thought the blue would be particularly great with my jean skirt. Add my must-have-belt at my waist, and I was feeling sheksy!