Quick Fix: Serging A Crew Neck T-shirt

How many shirts do you have that you just love but never wear because the high crew neck? Perosnally, I can't stand 'em. I'll buy the shirt because I'm at a concert, show, involved in an event, such as the One Spark tee above, and I buy it, wear it once, and then it's lost in the pits of my dresser, with all the other band tees I can't seem to shed because of sentimentality. Well, here's a solution: FIX IT!

For those of you that sew out there, I'm sure you've cut up a t-shirt or two, but your standard sewing machine just doesn't cut it for many things you want to do. This is where an overlock machine becomes the best purchase ever for changing your wardrobe. Rip through a side seam like that *snaps fingers*, and bam, better fit. The serger uses 2-4 cones of thread instead of just one cones of thread and a bobbin like your standard machine. It will give you a headache if you don't read the manual, but it's worth it. And I'm the girl that literally never ever reads manuals. Like ever! But this time, it's worth it and I've actually read 90% of my serger's manual. 

Simply cut off the neck of the t-shirt, and cut off the sleeves. A wider neck or more narrow shoulders can be achieved by cutting a wider neck or cutting more towards the center line from when removing the sleeves (look closely at the top right corner of the above pic at how I cut off a few inches past the shoulder). But this is all up to you, and can be fun to play around with the fit you desire. As soon as you cut off the neckline right around the original neckline, you'll see a huge difference in the fit, as the tension from holding that shape is gone.

Next, serge the edges. I took the shirt up a few inches, and serged the arm holes. I didn't change the side seams one bit, since it was already a great fit and nice and snug. 

Seriously, go buy yourself a serger and go nuts. It's worth every penny. You'll save so many clothes from the Goodwill pile! I guarantee it.