Side Ruffle T-Shirt Upcycle

Since we have moved one of my favorite things is getting the mail (not that it wasn't before, who am I kidding!). One of the reasons though, is the "or current resident". You see, the previous owners of this house got a TON of catalogs.

Since I rarely buy on-line or through catalogs, I don't get on those lists. If I sign myself up for those lists, I never buy anything and end up getting dropped within a few months. (Really, Pottery Barn, what makes you think I would never order anything? O.k., they are probably right!)

Side Ruffle T-shirt Refashion

One day, I got a catalog from Victoria's Secret. Actually, everyday I seem to get a VS catalog. I think they miss the old homeowner. Anyway, I saw this shirt that I loved. I thought I would try to knock it off.

This is my version. What do you think?

I actually started with this long sleeve Gap t-shirt (thanks Betsy for letting me go through your Goodwill pile!)

I took the sleeves off and then finished the sleeve edges that would now become a tank.

Then I started cutting up the sleeve at the seam. I cut on the other side of the seam to get rid of the seam all together.

This is what I was left with. Then I put both of the sleeves on top of each other

and stitched up using a ruffle stitch (highest tension and length setting on your machine) from the bottom up.

This is what it looked like. Don't you love the ruffle stitch trick?

I then laid it out as straight as I could on my cutting mat

Then cut off the extra length at the top where the arm hole used to attach to the shirt. I then lined it up with my shirt body and used the ruffle stitch again to attach it to the shirt.

After the ruffle was where I wanted it, I stitched the ruffle on.

I checked it next to my inspiration photo and thought it looked pretty similar.

I had to crop my head out of nearly all of the pictures. Not quite sure why I was giving the stink eye the whole time!

That's it! I'm ready for spring!