T-shirt to Drawstring Crop Top

Sometimes the cutest outfits are disguised as your fiancé's old shirts.

Every now and then, I feel like I need to mix up my summer wardrobe and add in a quick crop top to go with my favorite shorts. In this post, I will walk you through how to turn an oversized t-shirt into a cute drawstring crop top.

Supplies:

-Oversized t shirt (larger than you normally wear)

-Matching thread

-Janome Skyline S9

-Twin stretch needle

-Safety pin

1. For the main body of the crop top, we need to start out with a rectangle.

Measure around your waist, add 1" for seam allowance. This will be how WIDE your rectangle will be. Measure from the top of your chest to where you want the hem of the crop top to sit, add 1" for seam allowance. This will be how LONG your rectangle will be.

2. With your t shirt laying flat on the table. Starting from the side seam, measure out HALF of your waist measurement plus 1/2" for seam allowance. (This will be cut out on the double).

Once this is cut on the fold, the measurement will double, giving you your full waist measurement with an additional half inch of seam allowance. The short side opposite the fold will become the seam for your center front tunnel.

Starting from the top edge of your rectangle, measure down how long your crop top needs to be, including a full 1" seam allowance.

3. Fold down the 1/2" seam allowance on the top and bottom of the longest edges of the rectangle. This will be come the neckline and the hem of the garment. I used a twin stretch needle on my Janome Skyline S9 which worked like a breeze. Make sure to sew with the seam allowance facing down, this way the double needle stitch shows up on the right side of the garment.

4. Switching back to your regular needle, sew your center front (the short sides of the rectangle) using a 1/2" seam allowance. Press your seam allowance open.

5. Topstitch 1/2" away from each side of the center front seam.

This will create the tunnel for the drawstring.

6. Take the measurement of the length of your crop top and multiply it by 3. This will be the length of your tie for the drawstring. (If the length of your crop top is 12", x3=36")

Using what is left of the oversized t shirt, cut out a strip of fabric that is your total length of drawstring by 2" wide.

7. Fold your drawstring in half lengthwise, and sew a tunnel that is 3/8-1/2" wide. Once you are done, trim your seam allowance down to 1/4".

8. Once your tunnel is sewn and trimmed, use a safety pin to turn the drawstring right side out.

9. Feed your drawstring through one side of the tunnel of your crop top and then back down through the other side and tie a bow.

10. Try it on, and adjust your draw string accordingly :)