How to make a top from a T-shirt

Every girl has several T-shirts that look good, but it is advisable to change the style. If there are no things to experiment with, ask your parents, siblings, girlfriend or boyfriend. The transformation experience is useful for beginning needlewomen and experienced craftsmen. It doesn’t matter that you have no experience in cutting clothes, it would be a good idea. Any top or T-shirt that fits perfectly in size will be suitable as a template.

Which T-shirt is better to choose for alteration?

Experimenting with transforming things is useful in terms of free wardrobe updates. It’s nice to use a few unnecessary things to create a stylish and fashionable wardrobe with your own hands that will be the envy of your girlfriends. Once you get down to business, prepare several T-shirts at once. In case something doesn’t work out the first time, there will be a basis for practice. Effective experience will inspire other options.

From the pile of T-shirts found for alteration, you can find some pretty decent ones. Something is lying around on the shelves among summer clothes and has not been worn for a couple of seasons.The audit is carried out according to a number of criteria:

• high quality fabric;
• rich color, without sun-bleached areas and traces of sweat in the armpits;
• without small holes and unraveling stitches;
• without deformation on the neck, chest and abdomen;
• things of sufficient length to make a selected model.

It’s good to have experience working with knitwear, scissors and a needle and thread, then they can work straight away. Without experience in needlework, having a great desire to learn cutting and sewing skills, it is better to start working with rough material - using T-shirts and T-shirts of not the best quality.

Dressmakers do not work with dirty things; everything needs to be washed and ironed. New things are also washed, they will shrink, and it will be easier to estimate the actual size. All things need to be prepared, even if they look good:

• wash and dry without deformation;
• iron or steam (depending on the quality of the knitwear), laying it out on a flat surface where it will be convenient to mark and cut;
• After processing, carefully check to see if there are any defects;
• Before cutting, fold in half, precisely aligning the shoulders and armhole for perfect symmetry.

Items with minor flaws at the bottom can be used for shortening, on the sleeves - for cutting, on the neck - for deepening the neckline.

Attention! The linen knitwear from which T-shirts are made practically does not unravel. It does not give arrows if you cut not lengthwise, but crosswise. Transverse seams are rolled without treatment. You can make “tubes” along the edges by slightly twisting and stretching the sections.

It's no secret that lightweight knitted items without seam treatment are made just for one use - I wore it, noticed the deformation, threw it away. If the experiment was successful, the cut can be processed with high quality by contacting a dressmaker or atelier.It is quite inexpensive, the new thing will look more solid and will be worn for more than one season. We can safely say that the fashionable T-shirt top was made by hand.

Materials and tools for converting a T-shirt into a top

Before work, all prepared clothes must be tried on to make sure how and what fits in size. If the item fits well, it does not need to be adjusted in size, just change the style. Wide T-shirts will have to be reduced using cut or decorative handicraft techniques (weaving, ties, lacing).

Try on things without underwear if that’s how you’ll wear them in the summer. Immediately mark the depth of the armhole covering the chest. Raise your hands up to mark a critical line above which the T-shirt should not be shortened. If the item will be worn with underwear, try it on with the bra that fits perfectly. This recommendation applies to girls with large breasts or those who tend to be overweight.

Don’t rush to start work if you don’t have what you need at hand:

• sample model (in a photo, video, sketch or example from a magazine);
• original product (remade T-shirt);
• ruler, triangle and chalk for marking;
• iron or steamer;
• sharp scissors, preferably large ones for cutting and small ones with sharp ends for making small holes;
• sewing pins with colored tips and regular safety pins;
• sewing machine, if tailoring involves stitching (optional);
• thread to match the color of the fabric (or slightly darker) No. 40;
• sewing needles and thimble (optional).

If the new version involves decorations, prepare colored threads for embroidery and accessories for appliqués - bows, decorative buttons, pieces of ribbons.You can apply dotted outlines on a smooth T-shirt, for example, an owl or a bunny, attach beads, stones or sparkles along them, you will get a fashionable print.

Attention! We work only on the inside, where the markings are applied with chalk!

You can take ready-made samples for drawing or make a sketch yourself. Just be sure to work according to the preliminary marks of the template so as not to distort the image during the application process.

How to make a simple sports top from a T-shirt: step-by-step instructions

Let's learn how to make a top with wide cutouts on the shoulder blades and a narrow stripe in the middle.

1. Take the prepared T-shirt and trim the sleeves along the seams. It is more convenient to work from the armpits to the shoulder line.
2. Carefully cut off the bottom seam with the hem, dividing the circumference in half to get a long strip. This part will be needed to decorate the back.
3. Decorate the back by making neat rounded cuts so that it turns out symmetrically; it is enough to leave 4–5 cm in the center. There is no need to redo the front part.
4. If you want to widen the neckline, you will have to cut off the processing and shape it to the desired shape.
5. Gently roll up the edges with a roll; the top can be worn in this form.
6. If you want to get a spectacular back, use a cut bottom. We tie or braid a strip of knitwear between the shoulder blades.

In such an updated outfit, especially in a duet with tight shorts, any girl with an athletic build will be irresistible. If you wear an outfit with a bra, stylists recommend replacing regular straps with transparent silicone strips.

Types of T-shirt tops sewn using a sewing machine

In fact, there are a lot of options, but let’s look at the most accessible ones for beginners:

• top without top (the option is suitable for a T-shirt exactly in size, cut off the part above the sleeves, marking with chalk under the ruler, stitch the top onto tulle or guipure, cut from the cut parts of the front and back, leaving 1-2 cm allowances for the seams, cut line, if it turns out sloppy, you can hide it with a neatly sewn satin ribbon);
• shortened length (cut to the required length, above the waist is suitable for a muscular stomach, processing the lower cut with elastic lace, knitted elastic, or simply stitch a strip of 2-3 cm and gather it with a drawstring);
• the simplest top for the beach (you can simply gather the top into a drawstring with straps);
• asymmetrical model (today a shortened front part and a rounded bottom at the back are in fashion; to do this, use scissors to form a neckline and sew ready-made fringe of the same color, remove the sleeves by cutting out a deep “Hollywood” armhole, finishing with fringe, you can also cut the bottom on the bias).

T-shirt tops without sewing

The most popular among beginning needlewomen are tops that can be formed with just scissors:

• the usual option (cut off the sleeves to get a T-shirt with straps of the required width, the top can also be cut asymmetrically on one shoulder, a wide cutout on the back or neckline, decorated with lacing, looks more impressive);
• with slits (horizontal slits along the back are an extravagant detail for the summer; they can be left or intertwined, slightly stretched);
• with bows (the scraps from the bottom can be used as ties on the shoulders, cutting the T-shirt to the T-shirt, or you can make ties under the arms through holes with grommets, which are sold in handicraft stores, cutting the product along the side seam line if you need to greatly reduce the item);
• with fringe (the most popular option for processing the bottom is to shorten the T-shirt, mark strips of 1.5 - 2 cm on a ruler and cut them, they will curl themselves into tubes).

Decorating a top with your own hands

Any old T-shirt can be decorated beyond recognition if you want:

• if you need a beach outfit for 3-5 days, which no one will wash and take home, the easiest way is to paint it with a marker (felt-tip pen); letters, hieroglyphs and inscriptions “love” in different languages ​​look best;
• a plain top can be embroidered with the same type of beads of different sizes scattered (pearl, silver or golden balls);
• Form flowers (poppies, daisies) from tulle and ribbons and sew on the top;
• using “liquid nails” glue, secure the pebbles with a flat base;
• use a ready-made application;
• apply a golden pattern by spraying through a stencil (or other convenient method).
  

Useful tips for converting a T-shirt into a top

Don’t be afraid to experiment, learn to think creatively, if you have good ideas, implement them.

Combining different fabrics or unexpected combinations will add more originality. For example, use rabbit fur to form a kitten's face on an applique, even if it's a summer item.

The armhole can be trimmed with lace or satin ribbon, but it is better to do this when you have experience in needlework.

The T-shirt can be shortened greatly but leave the sleeves on if it fits well and has a great print on the front. Try experimenting with the shape and decoration of the sleeve.

If you have good taste and a slim figure, try layering tops and T-shirts of different styles one on top of the other. Feel free to complement a small bustier made from old knitwear with a crocheted summer poncho - you will be irresistible.