Saturday, March 30, 2013

Holey Tee, Batman!

There are few things I don't like about thrift stores. The primary annoyance is unattended children, but a close second is staples. Yep, staples. I don't know about your experience, but most of the thrift shops near me use staples to attach their price tags to clothing. To their credit, they usually try to staple them to the tag inside the collar. but if there isn't a tag, they go right through the fabric. Honestly, I can't really think of a better solution from their point of view. I'm sure staples are cheaper than price tag guns, and I do appreciate the savings that are passed on to the consumer, namely me. But still, staples. Grrr...

Let's look at an innocent victim of this pricing dilemma, shall we? I picked up this tee a while back for $1, I think. I love the indigo color and the low-cut back.

Embellished Tee

Apparently, the previous owner wasn't so keen on the back though. She had removed the tag, presumably to wear it backward without people noticing her t-shirt was backward.

Embellished Tee

This, in turn, led to confusion when the thrift store clerk went to price the tee and, not immediately seeing a tag, stapled it to the back of the collar. Only they stapled it to the front of the collar by mistake, not realizing it was intended to be a low-back, rather than low-front, top.

Embellished Tee

And of course, it wasn't until I got it home and went to pry off the price tag, that I noticed the damage. And of course, the obligatory post-thrifting laundry cycle only made the holes bigger. I gave the tee a chance and wore it once... on a Saturday when I wasn't going anywhere. But I couldn't help but be self-conscious about these little holes right on my chest. I was afraid everyone would notice, especially with my pale skin peeking through the dark fabric. So I pulled out my pile of t-shirt remnants from refashions past, and went to work.

Embellished Tee

This turquoise will do nicely.

Embellished Tee

I cut my pieces, laid them out in a pleasing design, and pinned them to the inside of my shirt, making sure one of the pieces was over the tiny holes.

Embellished Tee

Then I realized that I was going to want to sew with the right-side up, to make my stitches looked good from the outside. So I repinned my pieces from the outside, and removed the inside pins.

Embellished Tee

I also pinned some paper to the inside of the fabric (like the stuff they wrap your fragile purchases in at home good stores). This will stabilize the fabric so it doesn't stretch weirdly while I sew.

Embellished Tee

Once everything is sewn into place, the paper rips off quite easily since my sewing machine conveniently perforated it for me.

Embellished TeeEmbellished Tee

Finally, I took my nice sharp scissors and trimmed the excess fabric from the inside as well as cut away the dark blue from the rectangles on the outside, being careful not to nick the turquoise underneath.

Embellished TeeEmbellished Tee

Now I'm not self-conscious about the holes in my t-shirt because I made them on purpose!

Holey TShirt Before & After

10 comments:

  1. Great save! I'll have to file that idea for the future.

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  2. Hey, that is so superior than if you hadn't changed it. Blessed holes!

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  3. UAU! Great idea Carissa! Great solution! I LOVE it! Kisses from Portugal!

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  4. Great idea! Reverse applique rocks anyhow, but I like your version- very figure-flattering!

    -Heather, The Real Leopardstripes

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  5. It has a Tribal Vibe that I'm totally diggin'. Thanks for the stabilizing paper tip! Oh, and I linked through from Refashion Co-op.

    www.dressupnotdown.blogspot.com

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  6. Thanks for the super'TEE'duper tip! I will save this under hashtag... uummm #CarissaKnits! (Since it'll work to not only cover tiny holes as you did, but to refashion (and long overdue, too) my previous "favorite-Tee" in the back of the closet. Making it an allover 'save' instead of putting it into the save pile for the next donation run to the thrift store! (Even price gun 'tags' can leave holes depending on how they pierced the fabric to begin with!) Maybe hashtag Holey Save, Batgirl! will be appropriate?

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  7. Justfound your blog through newdressaday and I gotta say, I'm loving how you really show us wat you did, steo by step - like the paper thing, never would have thought of that. Keep up the great work!

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