{Who's That} Meg the Grand

I've got a fab blog to share with you all today!  Meg from the blog Meg the Grand is here to share a cute t-shirt makeover.  She is a seamstress extraordinaire!  I lovelovelove the things she comes up with and I have a hunch you will, too :)  Without further ado, here's Meg!

Thanks Courtney for having me on your lovely blog today!

Hello, Friends! My name is Meg and I blog over at Meg the Grand.

            

I'm a redhead whose signature color is orange and I love to sew and refashion! I learned how to sew in college while working in a costume shop and have been honing my skills on the Sew Weekly challenges this year.   I live in Chicago, Illinois with my fabulous boyfriend (who also doubles as my photographer). 

Today, I'm going to teach you how to make a flower basket top.

For this project, you will need:

·         A t-shirt that needs some love

·         A piece of lace (I chose a bouquet of flowers)

·         Ribbon (2 ½ feet should be enough for pleating around a larger motif)

·         Pins

·         Tailor’s chalk

·         Sewing machine

·         Ruler

I am using an Old Navy shirt that has been in my closet forever and had been in the giveaway pile.  I went for a more streamlined look and chose white lace with a white top, though you could mix t-shirt and lace colors. 

First things first:   Put your shirt on inside out and mark where the top of the bra clasp lies under your shirt.  I asked my boyfriend for assistance and wore a dark colored bra to assist him in finding the clasp.  This marking will be helpful when trying to position your lace piece.

Next, we will measure side seam to side seam.  My shirt measured 11 inches across the back.  This measurement, along with your bra marking, will help in centering the motif on your upper back. If you have a neat tattoo and want to make a window for that to be seen instead, your measurements will be different.  (Have a friend mark the outline of the tattoo instead of the next step)

Your lace motif will need to be cut out with at least ¼ inch seam allowance   The motif I used ended up being 7 inches across.

This next part can be done 1 of 2 ways: 

1.       Mark where your lace lays, remove lace, and cut out area.

2.       Sew the lace down on the right side of the shirt and then cut out t shirt from behind.

I chose to mark where my lace laid since I tend to get scissor happy and didn’t want to risk my awesome bouquet getting snipped.  I laid the lace face down on the inside of the shirt and marked the edges with tailor’s chalk.

Next, cut out your design’s outline, making sure to add at least ¼ to the edges for seam allowance.  I put a piece of cardboard in between the front and back of the shirt as a precaution.  (I promise this is not an advertisement for Kellogg’s Raisin Bran…because this cereal is from Aldi’s.  So this is an advertisement for Aldi’s Raisin Bran.  J)

Turn your shirt inside out so your chalk marks are hidden from sight.  Position your lace motif over the opening and pin the edges down.

 

Stitch around the edges, being careful to capture both the t-shirt and lace.

Trim the excess lace around the edges and grab your ribbon.  I began pleating the ribbon at the top of the motif, covering up both the stitching and the edge of the lace.  My pleats ended up being ½ inch each.

 

Continue around your motif.  This is the most time consuming part, but watching Hoarders totally takes your mind off it. (OMG I love Hoarders.  It makes me look at my fabric stash and go: “That’s not so bad after all.”  I have a problem, ya’ll.) When I came to the end of the ribbon, I tucked it under the first pleat to make a continuous loop. 

Now we sew!  I suggest sewing down the pleats rather than against – it makes for a smoother step and less chance your ribbon will be flipped up in random places.  I stitched down the center of the ribbon with a smaller stitch than I normally use.

Now we get to try it on and dance around to Journey!  Don’t stop beeelieevinnnn….

Just remember to put on sunscreen under that spot or else you may have some crazy sunburn lines… or don’t, and you have an instant conversation starter!  Ta da!

Thank you again Courtney for having me over here on your wonderful blog!  You are uber fabulous J

Aw, thanks, Meg!  Seriously, no one has ever called me uber fabulous, so I'm super-honored!  To see more of the wonderful things Meg has whipped up with the help of her trusty sewing machine, stop by her blog-I can guarantee there will be something that will make you say "I'm so making that!"