I have a t-shirt that I just love, but can no longer wear because it has a large tear on the back. I would like to cut out the front section that I want to save and somehow attach it to a plain t-shirt. But I'm not sure how to do this. Any one have any suggestions?
By Barbara Huggins from Hoffman, IL
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I had very good results in that situation by cutting a large rectangle around the front design, then folding over 5/8" all around and basting, then using the machine to sew it onto a new t-shirt. I used a new t-shirt that matched one of the colors in the design, but you can experiment and choose what looks best. Good luck!
For the neatest results in attaching the design to another t-shirt, use double sided fusible interfacing. You would want the lightest weight that you can find, and any fabric store should have the interfacing. It comes with complete directions for using it.
You could also try cutting around the design, and instead of sewing it onto another shirt, which may stretch it out. You can use iron on fusible webbing made to fuse 2 surfaces together. Ask at your local sewing store.
If you have various T-shirts that you like but don't wear for whatever reason, consider making a T-shirt "quilt" like I did with a lot of my husband's old band shirts, etc.
I don't know if you would get a good result trying to put the design on another shirt--it could come out puckered or stiff. I'd make a pillow cover out of your ripped shirt. Just put it over a small pillow (you can find pillow forms in craft stores, maybe even WalMart) and fold it into place, then sew the back. It doesn't have to look perfect in back as it won't be visible. Display it on your bed or in a chair and you will still enjoy your shirt.
Thank you all for your responses.
To foxrun41; the tear is at the bottom of the shirt and I really don't want a logo calling attention to my butt, if you get my drift... :)
Why not purchase an appropriate size embroidery hoop, cut the section of the t-shirt you want to keep but make sure to cut while leaving extra fabric around the section, place in the hoop, stretch the fabric tautly, cut excess fabric from the edging of the hoop and hang as a piece of keepsake artwork?
Try About.com. They have a section on T-Shirt Surgery where you get ideas on how to re purpose tees into various items.
I love all these ideas! I recently bought a T-shirt that had been stitched on another and it's my favorite T-shirt.
I just took a look at it and there is no fusibles on it. It is stitched directly on the other shirt with metallic thread, but any accenting color would work.
I would cut extra of the shirt out and sew it, so some of the excess fabric you don't want can provide accent in the curl/pull of it. Have fun with it. If you don't like it - you can always do it to another T! =)
There is a fusible webbing made for stretchy knit fabrics, such as t-shirts are made of. I recently found some at a yard sale, but I assume it's still available at sewing stores like Hancocks and JoAnne's. Just ask one of the employees for a fusible web that is used for knits, as specialty fusibles are sometimes stored some place you'd never think to look on your own, lol.
Thank you all again! I guess I'm off to JoAnn's.
I'm not sure just how big the piece is that you want to transfer to the new tee, but if it is not more than around 10x12 the reverse applique method should work. I design tees and use this method often. Just take the new tee and turn it inside out and slip it over the ironing board. Mark the center line. Cut out the design from the old tee about an inch larger than what you want to show. Place this centered on the new tee with the right side of the design against the wrong side of the new tee on the ironing board. Smooth with the iron.
Cut a piece of fusible pellon (911FF is strong yet pliable after washing) an inch or two larger than you have cut the design material. Draw outline of a square, rectangle, or circle onto the smooth side of the pellon the size that you want to show on the finished product (in other words, so that the final design fits within the outline). Draw a centerline onto the pellon. Lay the pellon over the wrong side of the design, lining up the centerlines of the new tee and pellon, so that it overlaps on all sides by an inch or two.
Now iron the pellon, sandwiching in the old tee design onto the new tee. Use poly/rayon setting and try to leave the corners of the pellon free which makes it easier to trim the pellon close to the stitching later to make it look neat on the inside.
Now you're ready to sew. You will sew over the outline that you made on the pellon. Use a 2mm stitch. It is easier to do this by turning the tee right side out and sewing inside the tee. While sewing, lay your hands flat against the material to keep it from moving around. After sewing around your outline move about a quarter inch away and sew around the outline again (like topstitching). This will give it strength and also gives a nice place to put rhinestones, nailheads, etc for decoration.
Turn the tee right side out and get out your sharp scissors. Trim the new tee material from within the outline that you have just sewn. Trim about an eighth of an inch inside the stitching leaving the topstitched outline. Tee material is an interlock which doesn't ravel and will just curl. You can do a lot of neat things using this method. It sounds complicated but is really simple. Just make sure that you keep the materials facing the correct direction! Been there done that!!
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