Summer is drawing near, and you have no cash to splurge on a new bikini. What you do have is a whole drawer full of clothes you do not wear or need anymore. Here is how you can fashion a bikini out of an old t-shirt. For the best results, you should choose a T-shirt that is made out of Lycra or Jersey fabric.
Old T-shirt into a Bikini
- First of all, lay the t-shirt right side out on a flat surface with the back facing upwards.
- Take one of your old bikini bottoms and place it flat over the t-shirt\’s back. Trace the shape of the bikini bottom onto the back of the t-shirt. Bikini bottoms that tie at the sides are the easiest to trace as you can open the entire piece up. However, you will not have that much material to make the exact long strings. Make-do by working with whatever length the back of the t-shirt can provide you, but make the ends where the strings are supposed to be slightly thicker. That way, when you make a double knot, it will still look like a ribbon.
- Cut out the bikini bottom template, leaving about half an inch of excess around it for sewing space.
- Next, pin the bikini bottom into place to get ready for sewing. You should always pin your work down before starting to sew to make it easier to work with and to avoid unwanted mistakes. Fold the edges over twice, towards the inside to get the original shape you have traced out earlier. Because Lycra and Jersey fabrics are stretchable and soft, they are relatively harder to work with. Therefore, you should use more pins than you usually would and avoid over stretching the fabric.
- Next, turn the remains of your old t-shirt over. Assuming that the t-shirt has a print on the front, decide if you want prints on your bikini and if so, which part of the t-shirt to use. Once you have decided, flatten one of the triangles of an old bikini across the decided parts and start tracing two bikini triangles out of the t-shirt. For this project, it is easier to use an old bikini with thicker straps. Also, trace another two triangles, this time without the straps, anywhere on the t-shirt.
- Cut all the four pieces out, leaving about half an inch of excess around for sewing space. The base of the two bikini triangles with the straps will need more excess.
- Next, lay out the bikini triangle with the straps on a flat surface with the front facing downwards. Place the bikini triangle without the strap on top of it. Fold the base of the bikini triangles up twice about two-thirds of an inch each so that it overlaps with the smaller bikini triangle. Pin all four layers together. Pin all the edges up as you did with the bikini bottom to prevent them from fraying. Do the same with for the other side.
- You are now ready to sew. Select the stretch stitch on your sewing machine and sew all the sides up.
- Once you are done, thread the base of the bikini with a piece of thin ribbon. You now have a new bikini and one t-shirt less.
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benoutram/224081577/
