T-Shirt With Ruffles and Tie-Dye
I’m ready to admit that I have a problem… I love to restyle t-shirts and transform them from plain to fabulous! The ruffles are made from strips cut off of another t-shirt, then sewn to the front neckline, and partially down the front. I used a vibrant orange tie dye to add a bit of “wow”! I think this t-shirt with ruffles and tie-dye is one of my very favorites!
I always start with cutting the neckband out, and shortening the sleeves of the t-shirt. I press an approximate 1/2″ hem in the edge of the sleeves as well as the neckline, then stitch the hem. I have a coverstitch machine that I use for hems but small zig-zag stitch can be used. I also used pins to mark the center front of the shirt.
Cut the hem out of the other t-shirts and cut two strips off the bottom approximately 2″ wide. Save the rest of this t-shirt for a future project!
Use these strips to create ruffles for the shirt. A ruffler attachment for the sewing machine can be used or the ruffles can be made by using a long stitch down the center of each piece, and gathering the pieces to fit. I pinned the ruffles to the front of the shirt starting at the shoulder seam, then pinning the ruffle down the center front of the shirt. I stitched the ruffles in place using a plain straight stitch on the sewing machine.
I got really excited about how this shirt was coming out and forgot to take a photo of the tie-dye process – d’oh! – but I will explain it the best I can… I put the shirt in the washing machine on the rinse and spin cycle (the shirt has to be damp for best results with the dye!).
I rolled the t-shirt diagonally starting at the hem and working toward the opposite shoulder seam. I rolled the “roll” into a circle, then added two rubberbands so it would keep the round shape.
I added warm water to the bottle of dye. I soaked the shirt with the dye using the entire bottle and wrapped the shirt in plastic to let the dye sit overnight.
I thoroughly rinsed the shirt in cool water, then washed it in the washing machine… and am thrilled with the results of the t-shirt with ruffles and tie-dye!!
What do you think? What color would your t-shirt with ruffles and tie dye be? Leave your ideas below, I would love to read them!
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Wow, really?
There are better patterns for tie-dye than that. Tighter folds would have added more interest in the pattern. It's kinda boring.