Lace-embellished tee Tutorial!

A few days ago a reader asked me to check out this cute tee from ModCloth.

The crocheted cotton trim is cute and easy to do at home!  I went through my t-shirt drawer to see if I had any shirts that would be good candidates for this kind of makeover.  I didn't, really, but I pulled out the closest thing I had and was willing to embellish.

I'm sure you have a tee you can do this to, too!  Pull it out and get ready for the tutorial!

• Bring out your trims... depending on the shape you want, you'll only need a little bit so scraps are perfect!

•  Arrange the trims in the shape you want.  Try different things out!

That last one is the one I'm going with!

• So, to do a horizontal line of trim on your t-shirt, follow these tips.  Find the spot where you want the trim to be on one side, and mark it with a fabric pen or a straight pin.  Fold the tee in half over the center front at the neckline, matching your sleeve seams, and mark the same place on the other side.

•  Draw a straight line from point to point.

• Now, using sharp and pointy thread snips, pick out the serging and/or stitching at the armhole below the line.

• Pin the trim on following your straight line.

• Sew it down using your machine.  Careful; the tee shirt tends to stretch more than the trim as you sew, so make sure you pin every few inches!

•  I sewed across my wide lace at the top, bottom, and middle.  Five rows of stitching!

• Once you've applied the trim, carefully sew your armhole seam back up!  Try to match the original seam so it doesn't pull wrong.  It'll feel like a very small seam allowance.

•  Trim off excess trim inside the seam.

• Wear and enjoy!

I will have to try this again with another tee and more trims!  I'm happy to see lace-embellished tees in the stores and magazines this season, since they are a little easier to do than self-fabric ruffled ones, or ones that take manipulating fabrics and cutting off sleeves!  They're fun, too, but these are faster!