How to Make a Swimsuit Out of a T-Shirt
In the past decade, more fashion designers have focused on making eco-friendly clothing to help preserve the environment, according to the website Earth Pledge. Recycling unwanted or extra T-shirts into swimsuits is one way you can help the planet and save money while expanding your beach wardrobe. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Swimsuit pattern
- Soft measuring tape
- Spool of sewing machine thread
- Spool of elastic
- Liner (optional)
- Seam ripper
- Scissors
- Tape (optional)
- Straight pins
- Iron
- Sewing machine
Instructions
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1
Choose a paper pattern for the swimsuit from an online catalog or at a fabric store. Follow the pattern and take measurements of the wearer's body. Women's swimsuits require measurements of the bust, waist, torso and hips, while men's swimsuits require measurements of the waist, hip and leg length. Measure at the fullest part of the body.
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Choose the T-shirt for the swimsuit. Measure it with the soft measuring tape to determine whether you will need one or two T-shirts based on the wearer's measurements and pattern requirements.
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3
Buy colored sewing machine thread, elastic and any other items listed on the pattern envelope.
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4
Use the seam ripper to rip open the seams of the T-shirt. Remove all of the threads and any additions such as pockets or a collar.
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Iron the T-shirt to flatten the fabric.
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Cut out the pieces of the swimsuit pattern, following the cutting lines printed on the paper. Check the pattern by holding the pieces up to the wearer's body. If the pattern appears to large or small, modify the shape by cutting back the pattern or taping on extra paper in the desired location.
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Use the cool iron to eliminate wrinkles on the pattern pieces. Make sure any additions to the pattern are taped securely.
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Pin the pattern pieces to the T-shirt fabric. Pin on the elastic in the designated locations and cut out the pinned pieces.
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Sew the pieces of the swimsuit together on the sewing machine.
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Tips & Warnings
Depending on the swimsuit pattern and the size of the T-shirt, more than one T-shirt may be necessary.
To minimize any transparency, use dark colored T-shirts. You can line the T-shirt swimsuit with a polyester and spandex liner to ensure opacity.
Unlined T-shirts may become transparent when wet; those made from cotton blends may stretch or distort.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Digital Vision/Getty Images
