Sewing Tip: making the most of upcycled tees

Sometimes finding the right knit fabric can be tricky. Local shops don’t always have the widest selection, and while I love to shop online [Girl Charlee and The Fabric Fairy are some of my favorite sites for knits!] sometimes you just need to feel the fabric to know if it’s going to work for you – how much does it stretch? Does it drape well? How thick is it?

That’s one of the reasons that I love to upcycle. You can find some unique prints and if you shop your closet or a local thrift shop, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Often times, when I use a thrifted or clearance-rack T-shirt, though, I’m left with a bunch of leftover fabric. And the frugal side of me hates throwing away all the useful bits!

Counting Stars — upcycled black tee // striped body suit — upcycled polo
DIY baby pants tutorial — upcycled thrifted shirts

Some large pieces might end up in my scraps bin, if I think I can use them again, but I especially love to save neck bindings.

After you’ve cut out your pattern pieces, if you haven’t used the neck binding, cut it off and throw it into a basket.

Then peek through your stash the next time you’re making a shirt or jammies. Just remember, if it’s an old shirt, it may not have the same amount of stretch that new ribbing would have, so test it out before using it. But this tip could save you a little bit of money and maybe a trip to the store for a little bit of ribbing!