20 Minute Cinch Tee: a tutorial

So I was looking through the clearance rack at Target the other day, hoping to find some cheap tees to dress up with reverse applique. I was frustrated to find that nearly all of their clearance rack tees were at least 3 sizes too big. I like to buy my shirts to be a little big, but not that big. So I had a thought. Why not just cinch in the waist so that I could have a cute tunic to wear with leggings (my new obsession)?

And yes, it actually worked! And stayed true to my vision. Don't you love when things work out like you  plan? Plus it only took 20 minutes with very minimal supplies. What more could I ask for in a project? Quite awesome.

Materials:

Oversized Tee

1/2 Wide Elastic

Matching Thread

Tutorial:

Measure elastic around the smallest part of your waist. Add about 1 inch and cut. 

Sew the ends together. 

Turn your tee inside out. Try it on and mark your waist line with a fabric pen or just a pin. This is where you should you sew the elastic to the shirt. 

Pull the tee through your elastic hoop.

Pin elastic to the shirt at both seams. 

This is where it gets a little tricky. The idea is to pull the elastic to the same width of the shirt and pin around. Remember to just go through one layer of the tee, not both. It would be really helpful to have an extra set of hands to help with this step. If you don't, no worries, just make do as best as you can. It really doesn't have to be perfect. 

Now sew all the way around using a zig zag stitch. Pull the elastic so that the tee and elastic sit flat together. You'll need to have a hand in front pulling (as shown in the picture below) and a hand behind the presser foot holding onto the tee/elastic. 

Don't fret about getting this absolutely perfect. The gathered effect is really forgiving to any mistakes you might make. 

And that's it! 

Pair with some leggings and boots for a cute, fall look! 

You can even add a little belt for extra cuteness (:

♥