Upcycled T Shirt Sundress

Don't know what to do with all those t shirts that are taking up space in your closet? Make a cute sundress with them!

First, collect your t shirts. I used about 10 shirts for this project.

Next, cut 1 1/2 inch strips. I cut around the t shirt on a diagonal to get longer strips. Variety in strip width adds a little character to the dress so no need for perfection! ;-)

Then, tie three strips in a knot and braid. Safety pinning the knot to something to hold it in place will help when making longer braids. Tie a knot at the end to keep the braid from coming undone. Make sure the braids are long enough to wrap around the chest once. One braid should be long enough to wrap around the neck and tie in a bow to create the halter style top.

Sew braids together using a zig zag stitch placing braids side by side. I used clear nylon thread as my top thread and white thread in my bobbin. Leave a small opening about 2 inches wide in the middle between the 9th and 10th braids down from the top to insert the halter neck tie.

Pin bodice to fit and sew a straight seam with right sides together down the center back using a zig zag stitch. Trim raw ends close to stitching. Be sure to cut off all knots. Turn right side out.

Using a skirt sloper, draft a pattern for the bottom half of the dress. Don't forget to add seam allowances and at least one inch for the hem. OR, use a skirt front and skirt back from a commercial pattern that you know and like!

Lay out pattern on skirt fabric and cut. I used a stretch knit in a deep turquoise for my sundress.

Next, sew the side seams. Press the seams open.

Then, sew the hem. Press. I used a double needle for the hem on my dress.

I also did a loose stitch a quarter inch from the top for a little gather at the waist.

Attach the bodice to the skirt. I tucked the skirt inside the bodice, adjusted the gather and sewed on the right side of the bodice using the clear, nylon thread in the top and a zig zag stitch.

Attach the neck strap. You can use your creativity here and attach any way you like using the opening in the middle front between the 9th and 10th rows of braids. I tried a few different ways and settled on folding the strap in half and inserting through the opening from right side to wrong side. Then, I brought the loop up over the top of the bodice and over the ends of the neck strap. Pull slightly to tighten the loop and cinch the middle of the bodice.

Voila! You have a unique, eye catching, cute sundress! Enjoy!