Reconstructed cloth

Well, really it is a reconstructed T shirt. When our eldest daughter M was home a few weeks ago she asked if I could help her to alter a T shirt. She wanted to be able to turn a mans T shirt into something that would fit her, as she often prefers the designs on mens shirts to women's. So we had a look on the internet and found a tutorial and on the spur of the moment had a go!

We used her dads old red T shirt to practice on - and it turned out pretty well......

Following the tutorial, we first laid a shirt of M's on top of the red one using it as a pattern and matched up the necklines and shoulder seams then pinned the two shirts together so they wouldn't slip. Then cut the sleeves from the red shirt to use later.

We drew around the black shirt allowing for the side seams and for a turn up at the bottom.

We also marked a seam allowance where the sleeve will fit .....

...... and it was ready to be cut out.

Then we took the red sleeves, which we had cut off earlier, and pinned the black T shirt onto them matching the already hemmed sleeve edges, and again marked around the sleeves adding a seam allowance and cut them out.

So now we had all the pieces cut out.

Next, we opened out the T shirt body and pinned the sleeves into each armhole with right sides facing and sewed around the sleeve using the stretch stitch on the machine.

Once both sleeves were in place, with the shirt still inside out, we matched the sleeve and side seams and started sewing from the sleeve edge all the way to the bottom of the shirt on each side. Then turned up the bottom hem and stitched. 

The ta-dah moment! - fits pretty well! 

She was very please with the way it went together, and feels confident enough to try again - but will  practice again with an old T shirt to get the fit just right. 

I think my old sewing machine may have a lovely new home soon!