Gina:Because I'm a dedicated second-hand shopper, I often come across a t-shirt that has something that I want on the front, but it will often be too ludicrously large for me (or for anyone, and often that's why it is still in the store), or it just has that boxy, "I got this tee free at an event" shape that doesn't do anything for anybody.
So this was my first attempt at customizing a shirt to look just a little more flattering on me. I loved this shirt my friend Pen gave me from In-and-Out. I love any t-shirt with a reference to food on it, but especially junk food. I don't know why, since I try not to eat that stuff.
I laid the shirt out flat, and ironed it. Then I just drew chalk marks down the side seams and the sleeves (making sure that at the narrowest part of the sleeve and the hourglass shape that it wasn't narrower than I am.) Then I cut along those lines and sewed them up. (My line wobbles a little -- you can see it in the photo -- but you can't tell when you are wearing it.) I also cut just under the ribbed neckline, cutting it out completely. I folded the edge over just once and sewed it -- with knitted material, you don't need to worry about unravelling. Then I made a single cut to just above my bustline, and I sewed a thin strip of elastic in, outstretched, to pucker it right there.
I was just modeling this shirt after my favorite t-shirt that has the piece of elastic in the bustline, but now I have purchased "Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt," by Megan Nicolay, and I'm excited to get started on some of those. I'll let you know if anything good comes out of it!
