off shoulder top tutorial #2

This is a really quick and easy way to give an old tee some new life!

Difficulty:

Step 1

If you don’t know what ruching is or how to do it, check out the tutorial here.

Grab your extra big t-shirt and mark and cut like so:

Cut across the chest, right at the tops of the sleeves. Cut a few inches off the bottoms of the sleeves. cut the bottom of the shirt off at the length you prefer (accounting for hemming, of course).

* Obviously you should make sure you’re cutting the bust and waist to your measurements, too.

If you want contrasting colored sleeves, you can follow the seams and cut them off. Use the pieces to make new sleeves and attach them.

Sew up the sides of the shirt. Finish the edges of the sleeves and the top edge, and hem the bottom.

Step 2

Measure around your shoulders and around your upper arm.

Subtract two inches from the shoulder measurement and 1 inch from the arm measurement.

Cut 1 piece of elastic for your shoulder and 1 piece for each arm.

EXAMPLE: Around the shoulders, you measure 40″. Cut a piece of elastic 38″ long.

Your upper arm measures 11″ around. Cut two 10″ pieces of elastic.

Your elastic should be 3/8″ wide or less.

Step 3

Ruche the pieces of elastic where shown.

It’s easiest if you mark the elastic in 4 equal sections and then pin it to the top, which has also been marked in 4 equal sections, i.e. center front, right side, center back, left side. This makes it so the ruching will be even.

Use a zig-zag stitch, and stretch the elastic as you sew. Sew until you reach the point you started at.

Step 4

Your top should now look like this. You’re done!

You can add a ruffled or pleated hem and make a dress (if so, you can skip the step where you hem the bottom of the shirt), or add to it 100other ways.

off-shoulder top tutorial #1

Another simple recon tut, with a retro pin-up style flavor.

Difficulty:

Step 1

Take your big t-shirt and grab a tank top that fits well.

 

 

Step 2

Put the tank on top of the t-shirt. Mark and cut around it. Don’t worry too much about the neckline and shoulder area.

 

 

Step 3

You should have two pieces that look like this. Sew up the sides and hem the bottom.

 

Step 4

Now cut across the chest. This is where your top band is going to attach.

It should be an inch or two higher than where the top of a tube top would hit.

Finish the “armholes” by turning the edges under and stitching or sewing a piece of trim around the edge.

 

 

Step 5

Cut a long strip of stretchy fabric. It should be the length of the measurement around your shoulders, minus about 2 inches.

You could use a wide piece of stretch lace instead, if you prefer.

EXAMPLE: cut a 38″ long strip of fabric if you measured 40″ around your shoulders.

 

 

Step 6

The strip should  be twice a wide as you want it to be.

EXAMPLE: if you want a 2″ band, cut a 4″ wide strip.

 

 

Step 7

Fold the strip in half lengthwise, with the outsides facing in. sew along the edge.

Step 8

Now you should have a long tube of fabric. Turn it right side out.

Step 9

Sew the ends together. you should now have a loop of fabric that will serve as the top band of your top.

Step 10

Mark the center back and center front of the fabric loop and the top and sew them together.

Done! It should look like this.

technique tutorial: ruching with elastic

This technique is super simple and can be used so many ways!

What is ruching? Well, it’s a fancy word for a fancy way of gathering fabric.

You’ll need some elastic- 3/8″ wide or less is best, and a scrap of fabric (let’s just practice for now!).

Difficulty:

Step 1

Here are the two basic rules of ruching: Your elastic should be the length you’d like the finished product to be. The fabric you are going to ruche should be significantly longer than your desired finished length.

For this example, our desired length is 7″, so we’ve cut a piece of elastic that is 7″ long. The fabric has been cut to 12″.

NOTE: Make sure your elastic can stretch the entire length of the fabric you are ruching. Duh, I know.

Step 2

Secure the end of the elastic to the edge of the fabric with some stitches.

Step 3

Set the machine to a zig-zag stitch. The longer you set the stitch, the more fabric will be gathered with each stitch.

I like to keep things pretty long, myself.

Step 4

Sew on down that piece of elastic, stretching on each end of the elastic as you sew.

It takes some practice to be able to stretch the elastic and guide the fabric at the same time, but you’ll get the hang of it eventually. Pin the crap out of it, if you want. I don’t, because I’m a rebel.

Step 5

When you get to the other edge of the fabric, secure the end of the elastic with backstitching.

Step 6

If you turn the fabric over, it should look like this now, all ruffly and excellent. Ppretty easy huh?

Step 7

And guess what? Now it should be just about 7 inches long!

Step 8

You can stretch it out to its original length and see all of your pretty zig-zag stitches!