A Little Black T

After having a little black TEA, that is. Can't get anything done without ingesting the proper amount of caffeine, you know.

I know it's been awhile, and I truly apologize for the large stretch of time between posts - but it's for a good reason. Namely, that I found a couple of clients that have regular sewing jobs for me - I really needed the work, but it has taken off so quickly I was caught off-guard and couldn't figure out how to fit posting into the mix! My own blog has been languishing as well, so don't take it personally, LOL!

So while I've been sewing up a storm for others, I wasn't getting much done for myself. One day I decided that I really needed to get something done, but it had to be something quick since I had more work coming in. I have a ready stash of t-shirts I buy when I can find them pretty cheaply - often I can plow through the bins at the 99 cent store and manage to come up with one or two that I can use. This t-shirt was a perfect example:

A simple, slightly fitted, thin fabric in black. This was my inspiration for this refashion:

I'm so sorry - I can't remember what site
I got this pic from - I'd give them a big
shout-out if I wasn't so forgetful!

But wait, there she goes - off to the local fabric store where they have an awesome selection of interesting specimens....and she finds:

Ooooh! YUM-my! (Said Ace Ventura style, of course.)

Stretch lace, around 8 inches high - just screaming to become the bottom portion of the t-shirt. Well, it's roses & lace, so maybe not quite screaming. More of a lady-like twirling of parasols, perhaps. But still.

T-shirt on top. Lace underneath.

A close-up of the lace & pins.

I measured out extra lace and needed to take the lace in on both sides in order to make it match the sides of the fitted t-shirt; otherwise, I would have been trying to sew too much lace to too little fabric. Result? Major bunching.

Once that lace fitting was done, I used my sewing machine's stretch stitch (the one that looks like a lightning bolt in the selection menu) to stitch the lace around 8 inches from the bottom of the t-shirt. It could have gone higher or lower, it would depend on how long you wanted the finished shirt to be. I didn't want it to come to my knees, so I opted to match the original length. After I stitched it to the shirt, I very carefully cut the t-shirt away from the back, being careful not to clip any of the stitching or the lace.

Next, I wanted to use the remainder of the lace to re-make the sleeves. I carefully clipped all the serge stitching from the sleeves at the armhole, and then did the same at the underarm seam since I wanted to use the sleeves as a pattern. Alas, there wasn't enough lace left over to make the entire sleeve:

RATS. Just another couple of inches and I
would have had it.

Well, you're not a re-fashionista if you can't run into a problem, turn, and run off in another direction entirely, making do with what you've got, right? Plan B became the addition of the lace at the bottom of each sleeve instead. Not quite what I had in mind, but it'll do. I used the same stretch stitch (REALLY important here, since the sleeves fit pretty tightly), and trimmed the bottom inch or so off the sleeve from the back side, again being careful not to cut the stitching or the lace.

There, now - that wasn't so bad, was it? I actually
kind of like this better than my original idea.

The huggy bottom - this should look great over
leggings or skinny jeans! I vote for skinny jeans.
You don't want to see me in leggings.

The completed refashioned T!

Amazingly enough, this short sleeved t-shirt has now become a transitional piece - with slightly longer silhouette and extended (but lacy) sleeves, it will work well for what's left of the warmer weather and move right into the fall.

Huh. I could have entered myself into the Challenge without even realizing it. I'm only a week late in posting. (Sigh.)

Now if I can just wear the t-shirt before my son's girlfriend does the stealth-ninja-t-shirt-stealing thing....