I chose the Bird Parade Fabric*, which couldn't be more suited to me if it had my name printed all over it. Peacocks, oriental blooms and a blue and white colour scheme, this fabric was typically me. I had originally planned to do something a little more complicated, but when the fabric arrived I knew I wanted to choose a simple design that would let the gorgeous fabric do the talking. Here are the end results:
I decided to update a tired, old t-shirt by adding a contrasting fabric panel to the front. This fabric made me feel very summery, so I'll be looking forward to wearing this come the warmer weather. Although it's so versatile, I can think of numerous ways to wear it all year round.
To make this, you will need:
- Fabric of your choice
- An old t-shirt
- Paper for pattern making (I used baking parchment!)
- Scissors
- Needle and thread
- Sewing machine
- Sewing Pins
If, like me, you are using a fabric that has zero stretch, use an extra stretchy t-shirt to compensate. Also make sure that you have enough fabric to cover the front panel of your t-shirt.
First up, use a pair of fabric scissors to cut away the front panel of your t-shirt, leaving all the sleeves and the collar sections still in place. Make sure you leave a couple of centimeters away from the hems of your t-shirt, as this will make it easier when sewing in the contrasting panel.
Your t-shirt will now be in two parts, each shown above. Put the main part of the t-shirt (shown in the second photo) to one side for the moment, you won't need it for the next few steps.
Use the cut out panel to make a pattern by folding it in half and placing on a piece of paper. I used baking parchment as I didn't have any large pieces of paper to hand. Draw around your t-shirt panel, remembering to leave a 2cm seam allowance, and an extra 4cm at the bottom for a hem.
I labelled my pattern to try to avoid making any silly mistakes, but you can skip this step if you're not a doofus like me. Cut this pattern out, and place the straight edge onto the edge of a folded piece of fabric. Mark using tailor's chalk, and cut out to make your fabric panel. You can now discard the original t-shirt panel that you used to make this pattern. To avoid waste, I made a jersey yarn out of mine.
I tested out my pattern on a scrap piece of fabric before using it on my Country Retreat fabric. This is a great way to see if you need to make any alterations to your pattern before cutting out.
I then cut out my contrasting panel. I tried to fit as many peacocks as I could onto this panel, but you can arrange your fabric however you like. You can now start sewing this panel in place (make sure you put it in facing the right way).
I tacked the fabric in place first, as I found it easier, especially around fiddly sections like the collar and sleeves.
I'd highly recommend using pins throughout, to make sure that your panel stays in the correct position.
Finally, machine stitch over your hand stitching, to secure your panel in place. Give your t-shirt a quick iron, and it's ready to wear.
When you're finished, you can enjoy wearing your unique t-shirt. You could even use the remains of your fabric to make a matching accessory of some kind. Let me know if you try this!
*I was sent this fabric free from Hillarys Blinds as part of the Country Craft Competition.
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