How to Make a Giant T-Shirt into a Flattering Fit

So here you've got a t-shirt that's too large for you.  Perhaps it's an old one of yours, one of your husband's, or one gifted to you or found at a second-hand store.  Once you know how to turn it into something cute and wearable, you'll never look at big, baggy t-shirts the same again.

Before we begin, a word on what this tutorial is meant for: it is meant for a very large t-shirt, not something super-expensive or one-of-a-kind you're not willing to cut up.  If your too-big t-shirt almost fits but needs a little shaping, you can omit the neckline removal steps.  Okay!  Let's begin!

Here is your too-big t-shirt.  Note the top portion is called the bodice and we're calling the lower part the bottom.  You're going to cut a straight line a few inches below your bust-line (so note when you're wearing said unflattering shirt where that is) horizontally from side to side.  Use a ruler if you must, OCD people.  Remember when in doubt, cut a little lower rather than higher.  If your t-shirt's neckline is super-huge and immodest, you'll need to remove the neckline by cutting just below where it joins to the shirt...but only in the front! 

Now find a t-shirt of yours that fits nicely.  T-shirt, people, not tank-top or woven button-up shirt.  Lay your fitted t-shirt on top of the bodice of the too-big t-shirt and center it (not like it is in my drawing, all wonky).  Cut the too-big t-shirt about a half-inch or so away from the edge of your fitted t-shirt up the sides towards the armpits and down the sleeves.  Be aware that leaving more sleeve width is better, as the longer those sleeves are, the tighter they'll get down your arm once you've re-sized them.  If this part makes you queasy, pin the too-big t-shirt instead of cutting it, try it on, then cut around the pins.

Now turn the bodice inside-out and zig-zag stitch or stretch stitch (if your machine has that setting) along the edges you cut, leaving at least a 1/4" seam allowance.  Start at the sleeves and sew towards the armpits and then down the sides.  That way, the sleeves are even and if there's extra fabric somewhere it'll be at the meeting of the bottom and the bodice and hidden.  

The beauty of sewing on knit fabric is that there's no need to finish your seams - the edges won't fray, but rather roll and over time unravel a tiny amount.  Because it's not woven!

Now that your bodice sides and sleeves are sewn, turn the bottom of the too-big t-shirt inside-out.  So many hyphens!!  

Note: if you want your end product to be shorter, you can cut the bottom shorter at the raw edge where you separated it from the bodice.  Do this before proceeding to this next step.

The bottom is now wider than the bodice, so the bottom fabric will need to be gathered when you sew it to the bodice.  If you're making this into a maternity-friendly piece, try and put all the gathers in the front.  Otherwise, you can gather evenly all around.  Matching the middle of the back of the bottom to the middle of the back of the bodice, first pin them together, right sides together.  I put a single pin in the center of the back, on either side where the seams match (if there is a seam on the bottom), and in the center of the front.  That way you can gather evenly between the pins and your shirt won't end up with a ridiculous bunch of fabric on one side.  Now zig-zag or stretch stitch the bottom to the bodice (right sides together), leaving at least 1/4" seam allowance. 

 Pardon the blurry drawing.  Now, if your too-big t-shirt's collar was showin' off the goods and you removed the neckline, this next step is for you.  You should have only removed the neckline in the front and stopped cutting at the shoulder seams.  Put the shirt on (right-side out) and hold the removed front neckline where you'd like it to lay on your chest.  Note how much neckline excess is left at the shoulders, and pin the neckline excess at either shoulder so you keep the placement of your neckline how you want it.  Take the shirt off.  Now figure out where the center of the removed front neckline strip is, and pin it on TOP of the center of the bodice (where you cut the neckline off).  Gathering the bodice under the neckline as you go, zig-zag stitch on top of the neckline towards the shoulder.  Remove the pins when you get to them and cut the excess neckline, tacking down the overlapped cut ends of the neckline with a zig-zag stitch.  Now starting where you did before, do the same towards the other shoulder. 

This is how mine looked when I'd finished re-applying the neckline over a loosely gathered bodice.  See where I gathered the bottom in the front when sewing it to the bodice below the bust line? 

 

 Voila.  Now you should have a fitted, flattering t-shirt that YOU made.  There are several things you could do to embellish this, of course.  You could add strips of knit fabric gathered below the neckline, you could make rosettes with strips of knit fabric and sew them down one shoulder on the bodice, you could tier the bottom with different colors of knit fabric, you could put tuxedo stripes down the bodice with gathered strips of knit fabric...the possibilities are endless! And if you'd like a little tighter fit under the bust line, you can always add some 1/4" elastic (fitted first to your body, then zigzagged to the inside of the bust line seam).

 Now go play with an old t-shirt.