refashioned:: t-shirt to little girls top

i am really getting into this refashioning thing! and now i am kicking myself for all the clothes that i have tossed over the years!

here is the latest refashion:

this t-shirt was purchased a few years ago. i wore it a couple of times... horizontal stripes- what was i thinking??


today i turned it into an adorable top for my daughter Sutton.


i cut off the collar and using elastic thread on the bobbin and regular thread on top i gathered or "shirred" the neckline. i fit the shirt to Sutton's body and then sewed the sides and cut off the sleeves and used the same shirring technique.


i cut the scrap pieces to strips about 1" wide and gathered them using (of course) the elastic thread method. i continuously fed the strips through the machine so i ended up with one long ruffle. i sewed the ruffle to the neckline (once all the way around and then once more shoulder to shoulder in the front) and to the hem.


the entire project took about an hour. i love using jersey- no need to hem! Sutton told me it is her "favorite shirt" which, of course, makes me happy. she was concerned about eating dinner because she didn't want to get food on her shirt. she put another shirt on top for protection!

i have a huge pile of cast-offs that i have plans for. there are so many great ideas out there. i can't wait to get started!