Court jester meets booty-stealing pirate in this outrageous design. Inject any short-sleeved tee with swashbuckling storybook flutter. A rather in-depth project (you’re creating all new “sleeves”), the end result has a high-fashion aesthetic. Fly high the Jolly Rogers and—who needs the runway?—get ready to catwalk the plank. Ahoy there…
Ingredients:
- 2 T-shirts (one L, one fitted)
- scissors
- measuring tape
- straight pins
- needle
- thread
Instructions:
- Lay the fitted T-shirt flat and cut off the sleeves just outside the seams. Cut a 2″-wide strip off the bottom of the shirt. Optional: Cut off the neckband.
- Measure the circumference of your wrist and cut two pieces equal to that length from the 2″-wide strip.
- Fold the strips in half, short edge to short edge (right-sides together), and pin and sew along the 2″ edges using a whipstitch. Turn the resulting loops right side out—these our your wristbands.
- Measure the length of one of your arms (x) from your should to the middle of the back of your hand and, from the large T-shirt, cut sixteen vertical strips x” long and about 1″ wide. As a variation, use ribbons instead of T-shirt strips. (You’ll need only 1 T-shirt for this version.)
- Pin the edges of eight strips around the outside of one of the armholes on the first T-shirt, spacing them evenly. Sew them in place using a whipstitch. Remove the pins. Trim the ends of the strips so that the ones attached to the top of the shoulder and the ones attached a the armpit end at the same point on your arm.
- Pin the bottom ends of the strips to the top of the wristbands, overlapping the strips slightly. Sew the strips in place using a whipstitch.
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 on the other arm.
[ Posted on February 10th, 2006 ]
hey love your book its so much fun !! i have made a bunch of stuff and its given me lots of ideas
Hey Lauren — thanks for the shout-out! And keep cutting up those tees!
I bought the book in early 2008 maybe even late 2007 and didn’t have the time to use it 🙁 Then started a job where I’m encouraged to wear concert-t’s and now it’s in full use. I get many compliments and even plan on hosting a T party! Thanks for an incredibly fun and easy to follow DIY book!
Thanks, Genevieve! Let me know how your Tee Party goes!
i really love the idea of transforming your clothes into new clothes. thanks for teaching me how to save money and get creative!
That’s really cute! ur sooo talented! gosh! I feel so stupid lol I can’t even sew and I want to do all this…luvs yew! lol
No worries if you don’t know how to sew! There are lots of no-sew projects in my books (and on the site!) to get you started. Just start cutting!
I absolutely love your ideas. I bought the first book not long ago and have been taking t-shirts everywhere with me just in case I have time. Its an affordable way to stand out and I can’t wait to try out the new book! Me and a couple of my friends have even had Tee Parties!! Thank you!
A twin-size version of your quilt will go with me to the beach forever. I get so many compliments on it!! Now your second book shows a bag big enough to put it in. Love it!!!!
Hey Megan, now i borrowed you first book for the 3rd time in our local library… maybe I sud buy it for future 😉 and your second one too… i remember the first two times i had your book i wasnt satisfied with the shirts i build…. i had a scissor, that hasnt been sharp enough. Now I build 3 Shirts since yesterday afternoon (its saturday morning now) and every new shirt is better than this before 🙂
I have both your books and I just love them! This year, I found myself under-employed and cash-strapped. I had no summer clothes and no money buy any. But, I had boxes full of old tees! I was able to create a modest summer wardrobe of t-skirts, t-dresses, and altered tops. I received compliments on my “new” clothes! Thanks for the books, they were a lifesaver this summer!
Wendy, that is so awesome. I love that you refashioned a new summer wardrobe!
hmmm…couldn’t you use the sleeves you cut off the fitted tee as the wristbands instead of cutting off the bottom? I like my tees long 🙂
Yes — absolutely. If you have enough fabric you can pull from elsewhere, you’re good to keep the length!