T-shirt DIY Pattern

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +7 (from 9 votes)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 4.5/5 (8 votes cast)

T-shirt pattern (32)How great would it be to have a lovely T-shirt on every occasion? A great T-shirt means right color, right length, right sleeve length and right pattern on the fabric. The biggest problem is that T-shirt designers don’t come up with too many interesting designs and if you will happen to find some interesting T-shirts it is going to be expensive and it is simply not worth it. With Summer in the full swing, it is absolutely necessary to have a wide variety if colorfully fun T-shirts. I will show you how to get it done with a little of time. You will need a pattern of your favorite T-shirt design and super cute jersey fabric to work with. To get sewing done quickly make sure to follow this T-shirt DIY and let me know how it worked out for you. The easiest way to make a T-shirt DIY pattern is to use baking paper and trace individual elements of the item to be copied. You need to be careful and patient to get shapes right and remember to allow  a centimeter for the seam. Now it is easy to copy favorite T-shirts one after another. Sewing doesn’t take more than 40 minutes with an overlock machine and 90 minutes with a standard home machine (please remember to zig zag the ages of fabric before using the home machine in order to reduce stretch of the fabric otherwise needle may skip some stitches).

The best part of your new pattern is that now you can make some small adjustments without any worry if the final result is going to fit you as a dream. You can change your T-shirt design by modification of sleeve length, length, neckline, and shape on the hips. From straight finish to triangles on the sides or maybe a wave?

Let’s get started with our pattern. Make sure to fold the T-shirt in half and aligned with an edge of the baking paper.T-shirt pattern (1) Take your time and cut off the shape carefully. I’m going to cut it a bit longer because the original T-shirt seems to be a bit short in my opinion. The neckline was too deep as well so I made some correction on it.T-shirt pattern (2) T-shirt pattern (4)Now cut the little sleeve and we are ready with two the piece pattern and we can start cutting the shapes from fabric.

T-shirt pattern (6)Remember to cut from folded fabric to get left and right side of front and back. T-shirt pattern (7)The back and the front is exactly the same with one small difference. You will have to cut about a centimeter below the shoulder line. This will create a small shift of  the stitch on the shoulder like on the original T-shirt design and it will help us to make a clean finish of the neckline.T-shirt pattern (8)Once you got the sleeves cut out, you can get on sewing.T-shirt pattern (9) T-shirt pattern (11)First, you need to connect the front and back on the top of the shoulders. Then you can add sleeves. If you work with the home machine remember to zig zag fabric before sewing it together.T-shirt pattern (13) T-shirt pattern (14)Can you see how the top of the shoulder got shifted? Now I can recognize where is front fo the shirt. Oh yes, I should mention that my front and back got the same depth of neckline so this little shift on the shoulders is the only way to recognize where is front and where is back of this T-shirt design. Next time I will cut high neckline for the back side of the T-shirt.T-shirt pattern (15)Now you need to zig zag the bottom of the T-shirt and sew along both sides to close it in.

If you have a triangle cut on each side, like I do, you will have to be careful while folding up the edges. I usually start away from the pointy corner and work toward it slowly pulling on the fabric a little bit. Then you need to make a smart fold like on the photos below.T-shirt pattern (16) T-shirt pattern (19) T-shirt pattern (20) T-shirt pattern (18)It looks really good and clean inside out.T-shirt pattern (21)T-shirt would be almost finished at this point if not my daughters last minute idea to make a twist on the sleeves and change them from straight short to open and longer. It is a bit tricky to change it at this point but what are you going to do? This T-shirt is for her so I need to manage somehow. T-shirt pattern (22)I have cut off a piece of the sleeve and sew a wider piece of the fabric as an extension. Then you need to gather the fabric to match the width of the sleeve and extension.T-shirt pattern (23)Yeah, it looks pretty good. To hold those little waves in place I have run it on my home sewing machine otherwise, it is all moving around and it is difficult to hold it for an overlock machine.T-shirt pattern (24)Make sure that stitch of sleeve and extension are in line. Pin it all together and you are ready to stitch it together.T-shirt pattern (25)

T-shirt pattern (26)It looks like a little bell sleeve, so adorable. My daughter had a good idea, I really like it this way.T-shirt pattern (27)T-shirt pattern (30)My model did her best and all 3 T-shirt designs turned up fantastic from my T-shirt DIY pattern. I know there are lots of free t-shirt templates in the net but it is not easy to take a copy from screen size picture. I really wish somebody could show me how to make this paper patterns when I was taking my first steps in sewing, I would have been more successful for sure. T-shirt pattern (31)It is so much fun to make small adjustments and it really makes you feel like a designer for a day. Now I have to sew some of those T-shirts for myself! It would be so great to have a couple of them but I will have to go for fabric shopping first. Have a great weekend and fun with your T-shirt design.

How I Prepare for the Art Show

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +1 (from 3 votes)
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 5.0/5 (3 votes cast)

The past few weeks were so busy I even didn’t have a chance to start working on the paintings which are going to the next Muslim Fest Art Shows in August. There is so little of time left and so much to do not mentioning I’m running into the same time problem each year. I love to paint with oil paints and I should start preparations much earlier to have enough time for drying of individual layers. I will probably have to switch some of the paintings to acrylics which are so much easier to complete in shorter time frame.

Never than less, I will have 2 special “paintings” and I can’t wait to show you the final idea. I came up with it just yesterday before I feel asleep. You probably know that the best ideas are somewhere between conscious and sub-conscious and the best way to unlock this potential is to daydream and imagine as much as possible.

For now, I’m going to show you the sketch of first 3 canvas which is going to be finished in oils or in acrylics as soon as possible. Deadline is mid-August so it is really 3 weeks to go and I don’t have a chance to sit in the piece and concentrate on the painting! All because of the new website and the big project I’m working on – this is going to be a surprise! I will share it with you sometime in September and I think you are going to be shocked! I will finish here so I will not spill some details by accident if you know what I mean.

Right, let’s get back to my sketches.

All of them are around floral composition, very neutral and optimistic accent. I’m planning to use mostly primary colors. This one is set on the fabric which makes so many interesting shades and shapes around flowers and the cup. I have placed one of my bracelets on the top of the cup to bring some more light in this area and bracelet will be my primary point of focus as it is sill stands out dramatically on the red cup. By the way, it is quite difficult to take a good photo of pencil drawing on the canvas (or paper), I took a lot of them before selecting those which I thought are the best and I still should apologise for quality, it is not good at all.IMG_5580Next two paintings are going to present flowers only. One of them shows lily on the lake. I love how flower reflects in the water. Lily will be white with a bit of pink and water will have very deep dark color. It will look amazing, I have a feeling this painting will be sold first, I even hesitate if I should put it on sale at all? I have some sort of weakness for lilies. They look so gentle and perfect I hope I will be able to capture it.IMG_5685Last painting shows a daisy with big close up. I got to take a very good photo on the other day and I thought that large painting of this daisy should make a good impression on the viewers. I would like to make sure that visitors of this Muslim Fest Art Show will remember me somehow not mentioning there are a couple of prices to win and one of them is awarded by the audience.

As you can see my little daughter Anna was trying to draw with me and I have lot’s of finger marks all over the canvas. Sweet baby girl, she is going to be an artist for sure! I have to wash walls regularly after she is done with her pencil drawings on them. I gave her acrylic paints once but instead of putting them on the paper she was playing with consistency and made a lot of mess around. I guess we will have to wait few more months before she will let me explain to her how to use them.IMG_5686Daisy is going to be yellow with a dark background, maybe navy blue will look good? I really have to start painting soon and I love that The One With Art will get to present art this year. I was told that we were missed last year so I will do my best to prepare perfect presentation this year and Muslim Fest visitors are going to enjoy it. If you are somewhere in the neighbourhood please come for a visit last weekend of August at Celebration Square in Mississauga.