Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Sweater Surgery attacks t-shirts and cuts them up into some cute gathered tops with the help of Generation-T Beyond Fashion

Me and my scissors have been busy!
I won a copy of Generation T: Beyond Fashion over at Cut out and Keep and probably next to cutting Sweaters up I like cutting t-shirts up, aw who am I kidding, I cut all types of clothing up. Well, this book is uber -inspirational with cute and easy to follow instructions for 120 more ideas (I have the first Generation-T book too).

This T-shirt project for adding a gather under the bust line they call a "materni-tee" but I love empire waist clothing so this NOT preger whipped up 2 tops.

The one above I also top stitched elastic on the sleeves making them pouffe (technical term)

I also took strips of scrap t-shirt from another project and used them to pull down the cut neckline into a square neck.

To do this just make a little snip in the t-shirt along the armhole, thread the strip of t-shirt through this hole and around the neck opening. Then just tie a bow.

Here is another big t-shirt that I did a gather too and I also cut the sleeves off to make it tank style and open up the neckline a bit.
More about the book from Workman Publishing:

Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt

By
Megan Nicolay

"Megan Nicolay revolutionized the T-shirt. She repurposed it, reinterpreted it, reinvented it—and created the #1 craft book in the nation, Generation T, which continues to dominate. Now she explores new ways to slash a tee, scrunch a tee, and sew a tee with Generation T: Beyond Fashion. A collection of 120 projects for every occasion, it takes the humble yet ever-malleable tee in dozens of new directions—from baby gifts to pet accessories, stuff for the home, the car, the road, the boyfriend.

The rallying cry is: Don't buy; DIY. The result is hip, imaginative, crafty, and very green. There's a basic primer on techniques—knotting, sewing, braiding, lacing—plus a full tutorial on embellishing. And then an amazing range of projects. There’s fashion, of course: all-new halters and tank tops, sexy gaucho pants, a baby-doll dress, twisted shrug, and hooded scarf. But also baby gifts: Jumper for Joy, Baby Back Bib, Wild Thing Blankie. Home décor: plant hanger, wine cozy, toilet seat cover, ruffled apron, and Spastic Plastic (grocery tote). Grill mitts and bolo ties for the guys, doggie tee and stuffed cat toys, a steering wheel cover for the car, the Ants Go Marching (picnic blanket), and Beach Bum (beach caddy). Projects range from the simplest no-sew to intermediate, and all have easy-to-follow illustrated directions—plus, how to throw your own Tee Party.

Time to get your craft on.

Megan Nicolay has been traveling around the country like a pied piper of DIY, giving workshops and consulting at craft events since the publication of her bestseller, Generation T. She is a founding member of the Department of Craft, a New York City–based craft collective, and lives in Brooklyn, New York."



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2 comments:

jd said...

've owned this book for quite a while - after having seen it at the library. many cool ideas. of course, the best thing is the upcycling. i made a shirt for my daughter's best friend who is both a fashion horse and has quite a funky style. i took a long sleeve t she loved but had a bad stain on the sleeve, removed both sleeves, put the sleeves from a diff shirt on. she loved it. very easy. i handsewed so as to use a decorative effect on my 'surgery'.
i also am always on the lookout for things to which i can add crochet. these ideas are perfect for that - as for old buttons, charms, ribbons, etc.
jd in st louis
http://crochet.craftgossip.com

Eileen The Artful Crafter said...

This inspires me to do something with the (still very nice) oversize tees and beach cover-ups that I relegated to my p.j. drawer. TFS!

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