The 2-week Tee Transformation

From a man's 4X pocket tee to a woman's boatneck swing top.

I love how my first top turned out, and was a bit more careful with the traced chalk line this time around. I used two tried-and-true tops from my own wardrobe as a pattern template: the same boatneck that I used for the previous project as a guide for the top of this shirt and a favorite swingy A-line for the bottom. I had the fabric and it's a favorite shape, so why not?

I fell in love with some tone-on-tone polka-dot tops at Alabama Chanin and had those images in mind when I drew a chalk-line grid on the front of my shirt. I used the top of a spice jar to trace 2" circles and cut them out. My first inclination was to cover the front with dots... that's a lotta dots! I decided to space them out more, figuring that I could add easier than subtract.

I attached the dots with blanket stitch; seamed and felled on the outside; used a vertical stitch to apply the binding to neck, armholes, and hem.

There are "those moments" in sewing just as in knitting. More black thread wouldn't be hard to get, but I had only the one spool and no more at hand! It was SO CLOSE.

It's not easy to photograph a black-on-black top! The photos above and below are when sewing is finished and before I threw it in the washer. My chalk-line design guides faded but remained visible throughout the process.

I purchased the 4X t-shirts on Wednesday, March 18th and finished on Wednesday, April 2nd -- the sewing up was complete the day before, but Wednesday is when I pulled it out of the dryer and over my head, ready to wear!

I'd have finished a bit earlier if I hadn't forced myself to put it down after the applique was finished in order to finish knitting a hat. I couldn't pick it up again until the hat was done!

And after washing. It softened up beautifully.

I absolutely LOVE IT!

 

From that to this.

This is not the last of that!

Edited to add:

 Finito and a modeled shot! New haircut, too!!

 

Comments

[Kate]

awesome! love it! :D

[Laura]

Love it! Can't wait to see it in person at Knit Night!

[margene]

SO AWESOME! Great job of upcycling from big-T to a top you'll love wearing!

[Suzy]

How cool! Nice work!

[Carole]

That's fantastic! So how long did that all take?

[Bonny]

Wonderful transformation! Mr. 4X wouldn't even begin to recognize his old shirt. I'm also admiring your hand stitching; it's so even and precise.

[Elizabeth]

Love it!

[Michelle B.]

Brilliant idea!

[Mary]

Amazing! and beautiful! and I can't wait to see it modeled!

[Cara]

Nice work! I love your enthusiasm. But we need to see it on - or it didn't happen! ;-)

[Kym]

Love it! What a gorgeous top!

[Angelia]

You are so clever! I love the top you made. Thinking about the sewing, however, made my head hurt. :-) My Grandma always sewed. Sadly, the sewing trait is not genetic.