T-Shirt Refashion For Baby Boy
So when it comes to sewing baby things there really ins't a lot of choice for boys. I decided to make my little bear a new tee from an old tee that no longer fit the papa bear...
And thus this was the outcome....
I was pretty pleased as it was my first refashion / re-purposing / up-cycling project. I did make a few errors but no-one seemed to notice, well that or they were all just being too kind.
Seeing as I didn't take any snapshots whilst creating it here's a real quick guide of what I did.
Bearing in mind that little bear is an awkward sized baby it wasn't as simple as tracing an old tee out for guidance... It seems that in some brand's he's just way bigger than others.
- So firstly you need to measure out what size you want the finished tee to be. I did this on paper for guidance as I couldn't just cut around an old one. (*If you do chose to do that don't forget to add seam allowances!) I also had to extend the length because his big shoulders mean everything rises up - I actually think I've made this too long as there's enough length for the hem to roll under itself but that doesn't matter.
- Once you know your sizing you need to place where it will be on the old tee if it has a pattern.. It might not be possible to achieve the exact look you want but it could turn out even better...
- Once you know the positioning then you can cut it out, est to take your time and try to keep the lines straight. If you're really unsure on sizing then downsizing afterwards is a pain but easier than having something which won't ever fit.
- Next there's the basic steps of sewing up the side seams, right sides facing.
- Now this has an envelope neckline, I can't even begin to explain what a pain it was for me, mainly because i refused to buy additional fabric (rib knit) and tried to reuse thestuff on the collar... which is all well and done but I messed up and didn't have enough. OOPS. So I would try to explain it but right now my brain cannot remember accurate steps - sorry - but if you're really intrigued and tring something send an email and it might spark me to attempt another... There is a very large stash of t-shirts which no longer fit papa bear and need to be re-used! :_D
- Then inserting the sleeves - tricky but don't worry about perfection too much as it's not going to last that long with growth spurts!
- With the sleeves it's all about checking how it looks from the outside and pinning like mad! Obviously the large more circular end rides across the top of the shoulder (all depending on how you chose to cut them, I always cheat at things like this). If you cheated in the first place you might already have hemmed sleeves, If not don't forget to hem them first! It'll be more awkward afterwards.
- Finally finish with your bottom hem. Some bloggers use a double needle for things like this, well I tried and broke it (I do have a habit of this - OOPS!) so i literally just rolled the fabric up pinned like crazy and sewed two separate lines - Yes that's right I didn't iron it first, I'm a rebel like that.
After all that hard work you can then fight to get it onto your model and snap away ;-)
P.s. Sorry for the spelling and grammar issues, my keyboard's wireless and doing as it pleases and i don't have my glasses on to double check it... I probably should but just not tonight!
