Thrifting with Evie the other day she nabbed up this “pink” t-shirt. She loved it, it met her highest criteria ….it was pink.
Never mind it wouldn’t fit her for another 8-10 years it was PINK! Pinterest has had quite a few photos of t-shirt skirts and I thought well for .89 cents I can’t go wrong.
With so many making do & wanting to learn basic sewing I thought I’d show exactly how I did this. So, dust off those sewing machines dig through your t-shirts and lets get busy.
For reference, Evie wears a size 3 or 4. The t shirt I’m using is a Junior large with a bit of a flare at the bottom (a ladies small would work also)
Measuring Evie, I knew I needed a finished length of 9-10 inches. Or, measure a skirt you know fits well) For the elastic I used a 3/4 inch. In my opinion anything wider would be to bulky for a toddler.
This t-shirt had a decent hem so I used it.
Lay your t-shirt flat ensuring the front and back hem is even & the shirt is not bunched in the back. Measure from the hem upward the length you need plus 1-1.5 inches. From the hem toward the arm I measured 11.5 inches on the side marked it, & did the same toward the other arm. Use a ruler or straight edge and draw a line between the 2 marks and cut. (make sure the shirt is not bunching underneath)
Turn the “skirt” part inside out and sew or pin about 1/4 inch. Pressing helps (please note I did not use the 4 letter word….. I R O N ) Once that is done, fold over 1 inch and stitch down all the way around creating a casing & leave a 1 inch opening.
Next measure your little one with the elastic around their waist making sure it will easily clear their hips. You want it snug but not tight. Use a safety pin to thread the elastic through the casing making sure it doesn’t twist. Once it’s all the way through overlap the ends of your elastic and stitch through both layers, slide the sewn ends inside the casing and sew the casing shut.
I forgot photos of that part but I‘ve another shirt I need to redo & can provide more photos if needed
Once it’s all the way through overlap the ends of your elastic and stitch through both layers, slide the sewn ends inside the casing and sew the casing shut.
Put on your little one and watch the twirling begin!
Look through your donate pile there is always a t shirt in there. Look for shirts that are straight and have kept their shape. Avoid plastic or vinyl prints as they tend to grab and skip stitches. Kids outgrow clothing so fast why not save where you can?
Happy sewing!
Katie
Doesn’t she look happy?
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