T-shirt Projects

Sleeve-Ho! (sleeved top)

sleev-ho

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

sleev-ho-stepsInstructions:

  1. 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.
  2. Measure the circumference of your wrist and cut two pieces equal to that length from the 2″-wide strip.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 on the other arm.

[ Posted on February 10th, 2006 ]

14 Comments

  1. lauren morea says:

    hey love your book its so much fun !! i have made a bunch of stuff and its given me lots of ideas

  2. megan says:

    Hey Lauren — thanks for the shout-out! And keep cutting up those tees!

  3. Genevieve says:

    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!

  4. megan says:

    Thanks, Genevieve! Let me know how your Tee Party goes!

  5. holly says:

    i really love the idea of transforming your clothes into new clothes. thanks for teaching me how to save money and get creative!

  6. Ashley says:

    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

  7. megan says:

    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!

  8. Kacey says:

    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!

  9. Amielynne says:

    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!!!!

  10. Melanie says:

    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 🙂

  11. Wendy says:

    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!

  12. megan says:

    Wendy, that is so awesome. I love that you refashioned a new summer wardrobe!

  13. Anni says:

    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 🙂

  14. megan says:

    Yes — absolutely. If you have enough fabric you can pull from elsewhere, you’re good to keep the length!