Old T-shirt to Skirt {Who Cares if it’s Winter}

Old T-Shirt Crafts

I am soooo excited about this project!!  I really suck at sewing.  My sewing machine completely freaks me out.  I get way stressed when I think about threading a bobbin, and a gather stitch???  Forget it.  Nuh – uh.  Well guess what… I threaded my bobbin and turned an old T-shirt of hubby’s into a skirt, and used a gathering stitch in the process.

Here is how I did it…

Supplies:

  • Old T-shirt with a circumference 1/3 larger than your measured waist
  • Sewing machine with thread matching your fabric
  • 3 inch elastic band (I got mine from an old pair of thrift store leggins)
  • Fabric pencil
  • Straight edge
  • Fabric scissors

skirt from old t-shirt

Instructions:

  • Lay your t-shirt out and smooth it, making sure the bottom edges are lined up.

Recycled t-shirt craft

  • With your fabric pencil, draw a straight line horizontally across the T-shirt just beneath the armpits.

Recycled T-shirt crafts

  • Now cut across the line with your fabric scissors.

Recycled T-shirt skirt

  • 1/4 inch from the top of T-shirt segment you just cut, sew a gathering stitch (long straight stitch with low tension), leaving long thread tails.  Stitch again 1/2 inch from the top edge (so 1/4 inch below the line you just stitched).
  • Now for the waistband… Mine was already stitched at the edges since I cut it off of a pair of leggins.  {If yours is not, wrap it around your waist and mark where it feels snug (but not girdle snug), then mark 1 1/4 inch past that to account for seam allowance of 5/8 inch along both sides.  Align the ends and stitch, then stitch again 1/4 inch from the first stitch.  Zig zag finish the raw edges.}

skirt from old t-shirt

  • Right sides facing up:  Now position your waistband lower edge 5/8″ past the upper edge of the skirt  and pin.
  • Gently pull the lower thread tails to gather the upper edge of the skirt until it is the same circumference of the waistband.  Pin the heck out of it.
  • From the wrong side of the skirt, zig zag stitch over the gathering stitch through the band and skirt.

T shirt to Skirt DIY from @savedbylovesThen you are done.  Wear that bad boy out on the town.  I can’t believe it is 50° here in the middle of December.  I think that, mixed with the sunshine, contributed to my sudden urge to make a skirt.  Thanks for following along.  Let me know if you have questions.

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