T-Shirt Upcycle to Toddler Dress

I really love the color of this t-shirt, and it is made of the softest cotton, but alas, the neckline tends to flow further down than I would like--so I made it into a dress for my niece (who is almost 2).  This is one of the easiest ways to make a dress because the side seams and hem are already sewn.

Materials/Supplies

• t-shirt (should be about double the circumference of the toddler you want to put it on)
• elastic thread
• fat eighth (or other material for straps)
• sewing machine and thread
• scissors

Directions

1. Cut the t-shirt off under the sleeves (if this is too long, cut the shirt lower, but be sure to NOT cut off the bottom).
2. Wind the elastic thread onto a bobbin.  My machine can wind it onto the bobbin just fine (it got stuck a couple times, but with a light tug, it went smoothly--still much faster than winding by hand).  I have heard that some machines have problems with this, so you may have to wind by hand.
3. Place bobbin in machine and thread as normal.  I had some problems when I first started because I wasn't getting the bobbin to thread properly.  Make sure you get the elastic thread through every part it is supposed to go through.
4. Keep the t-shirt right-side out, and sew a line around the top about 3/8 of an inch from the cut edge (I just lined the edge of my presser foot up with the edge of the fabric).  Be sure to knot, or reverse when you start and finish a line.
5. Lift your presser foot and more down 3/8 inch from the previous stitch line.  Sew around.  Repeat until you have shirred the desired width.  I sewed 9 lines.
6. Cut the thread on the side where you moved down each line.
7. To make the straps I made, cut four strips 1.5 inches wide each.
8. Fold the strip in half right sides together, and sew down the two long sides 3/8 inch from the edge.
9. Turn the straps right side out.  I find it easier if I have cut the seam allowance down to about 1/8 inch.
10. Sew a line down the center of each strap.
11. Sew the straps onto the dress 1 inch from the sides.

Isn't this so cute?  I made this in about an hour before pool time.  Now go look in your closet, find those shirts you just don't wear, and make some toddler dresses.  You could also use this as a cute shirt for an elementary school girl as well.

Skirt Upcycle

A few weeks ago, I saw this great skirt tutorial on MADE.  I just had to make a circle skirt.  I went to the store and found this gorgeous, medium-weight, knitted fabric.  I made the skirt, but didn't hem it yet, tried it on, and was so sad.  The fabric I had chosen was neither light enough to flow out, or stiff enough to stay out.  It hung down my body like a bunch of drapes. 

In the past, I would have just written this off as a failed project, but not this time.  I looked at the fabric, and the design, and thought about how I could fix it.  What I finally decided to do, was make it an a-line skirt.  I love the way an a-line dress or skirt fits my body, and thought that I could work with that material and that pattern.  I began by turning the skirt inside-out, and cutting triangles of fabric out of the fabric.  I cut out eight pieces.  They were each about 8 inches at the bottom (but remember that it is folded, so you should only cut 4 inches).

I then sewed the gaps shut with a sewing and binding seam on my machine.

When I was finished with all the gaps, it looked like this (still inside-out).

I then cut the bottom and hemed the skirt to fit me.  Now what I needed was something to really give this skirt some identity.  I used the extra fabric I had from all the disections, to create verticle ruffles.  I cut strips about 2.5 inches wide.  That were roughly 1.5 times the length of my skirt from waist to hem.  I used the largest stitch on my sewing machine to sew through the center of each strip.  I created the ruffles by pulling gently on one thread until the fabric puckered to the right length. 

To finish, I pinned each ruffle on top of a seam, and stitched in place.  I wore my upcycle to work yesterday, and the first thing anyone said to me was, "cute skirt Malory." 

I think this was a success, and I will have to make a circle skirt out of a different fabric (I still love the pattern, and how easy it was to make).