Tank Top to Summer Dress Refashion

This is a simple refashion of a tank top to a summer dress for Dress A Girl Around The World and inspired by tutorials on that blog.

Items used:

• Tank Top
• 1 1/2 yards of fabric (for a girl's size 14 - 23 inches around - wider if a fuller skirt is desired)
• Thread
• Scissors
• Straight Pins
• 1/4 yard iron on interfacing  
• Iron 

To decide where to cut I folded the top in half then cut in the middle.

Turn inside out and cut a piece of interfacing approximately 3 inches wide and the length of the tank top on each side and iron on.  It is to help prevent the skirt from stretching out knit in the tank top.

For the skirt, I used the selvage edge as the bottom of the skirt so no need to hem it and measured up 28 inches and cut across.

Then added a gathering stitch 1/4 and 1/2 inch away from the top edge beginning 5/8 of in inch end on each side leaving long tails to be able to gather the fabric.

With right sides together, pin then stitch a seam down the back and pin the seam in the center in back then pin and gather then stitch 5/8 an inch away from the edge.   Turn right side out, clip any loose threads and your new tank dress is complete.

Thank you for stopping by my blog and happy crafting:)

Designer Inspired Nautical Bejewled Top

This top is based on a tutorial at Carbon Couture on a version of designer Phillip Lim's nautical theme top.

http://carboncouture.blogspot.com/2009/05/anchors-away.html

I was able to make this version for under $8, but the stones are a little heavy - a lighter weight t-shirt would not work with as many stones as I used without pulling down the fabric.

Items used:

• Heavy weight t-shirt
• Decorative stones (I used 11 total)
• Amazing Goop Craft Adhesive and Sealant
• 2 yds of rope (I would recommend getting at least 3 yds - I did not have enough to go all the way around the top-just the front)
• 1/8th yd. iron on interfacing
• Iron & ironing board
• Glue gun and glue stick
• Needle and thread

I couldn't find any large flat beads at any of the local craft stores, so I resorted to using the decorative stone that you can get at the dollar store.

Glue the stones to the top of the interfacing about an inch apart and press down firmly.

Quickly flip the interfacing over before the glue seeps through and allow the glue to dry.

Once the glue is dry, cut around the stones to allow just enough of the interfacing to stick out that will be covered by the rope (I ended up cutting most of the ones below down further after tieing a piece of the rope around them as it was too wide).

Position the stones on the t-shirt how you want them.

Iron around the edges of the interfacing to tack it to the t-shirt.

After tacking down all of the edges with the iron, turn on the steam and go over all of the stones, then allow to cool off for about 5 minutes.

Turn the t-shirt inside out and iron over the back of the stones then allow to cool about 5 minutes.

Tie the rope around the stones.

Once the rope is in place lightly tack the rope to the interfacing in several places around the rope, then hand stitch the rope to the top.

NO SEW TANK TOP TO TOTE BAG

Total Cost: $0 - All are items that I already had on hand. If I would have had to purchase the beads I probably would have either gotten them at the Dollar store for $1 or a large package at Walmart for around $2. I posted the How-To out at Instructables: http://www.instructables.com/id/No_Sew_Tank_Top_to_Tote_Bag/ It turned out a little off kilter at the bottom because the pair of scissors I had with me (I did the cutting at bottom on over my lunch hour at work and grabbed my paper scissors by accident) weren't really sharp enough and it got harder and harder to cut up as far as I should have. This is a project I am sure I will do again in the future sometime as tank tops are surprizingly sturdy and carry a lot more than you would think just to look at them. I previously converted a tank top to a tote bag turning it inside out and sewing the bottom shut and would carry a 12 pack of pop, my lunch and crafting stuff in it. This will be used more for going to the library or if I shop at Aldi's (a no-frills market - you have to supply your own bags or boxes or pay for them).