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Ahhh the neck tie: The go-to gift for Father’s Days and Boss’ birthdays across this great nation. Also a staple of closet clutter and Salvation Army donations, neck ties are so ubiquitous its surprising they don’t hand one out free when you buy a cell phone or a Cobb salad. So what to do with all those ties that inevitably pile up (if not in your closet then in the home of someone you know)? Take that masculine tradition and rework it, femme style with this cute tank top.
What you’ll need:
*Ties, 12-24 (free from friends and family who are probably thrilled to get rid of them. Or $1 a piece at most thrift stores.)
*Tape measure ($1 at any craft store)
*Needle and Thread ($3 tops. $1 for a pack of needles, $2 for a spool of thread)
-or- a Sewing Machine (if you have one)
Max Cost: $28 Min Cost: $4
Max reflects the cost of purchasing everything, including optional equipment, brand new from a major craft retailer. Min reflects the cost of purchasing the essentials at the lowest know rates. Depending on where equipment is bought and/or if some equipment is already in your possession, costs may vary. Cost does not include sales
How to do it:
Step 1:
Take out three ties from your bunch. They will be your straps and your neckline. Using the tape measure, do a loose measure around your chest, just under your arm pits. Add an inch. This is your neckline measurement, so write it down. Put the ties you will be using for your straps aside.
Step 2:
Pick one tie to be your neckline. Measure from the tip of the small pointed end (not the big fat pointed end) the length of your neckline (the measurement you took in the step above). Mark it and cut it. Stitch the seam of the tie where you have cut it to prevent the insides from coming all out.
Step 3:
Measure from just below your arm pit down your torso to the length you want your tank top to be. Add an inch or so for hem allowance. Pull out one of your ties. Starting from the tip of the fat pointed end of the tie, mark this measurement and cut the tie off. Repeat this process for all of the other remaining ties
Step 4:
Lay out your neckline flat. Arrange the remaining ties underneath the neckline, side by side vertically, in any order that you like. Pin them together so that they form one large piece of fabric. Make sure the new piece of fabric is about the same length as your neckline, not longer and only an inch or so shorter. Hold your new piece of fabric up to yourself to make sure that it wraps all the way around you comfortably.
Step 5:
Sew the pinned ties together. When I made the shirt, I did it by hand. I couldn’t afford a sewing machine at the time. It worked out fine, although it took FOREVER (about a week’s worth of solid work).
Step 6:
Once you’ve sewn the ties into one solid piece, sew the end ties together to form a cylinder shape.
Step 7:
Try it on to make sure it fits over your chest and such.
Step 8:
To hem the top, fold over the raw edge so it is hidden and sew the fold closed.
Step 9:
Pin the neckline around the hemmed tops of the ties. Make sure you pin the neckline to the fabric with the seam of the tie facing in. Overlap the small pointed, finished edge of the neckline over the raw, cut edge. Sew on the neckline.
Step 10:
Try it on again. Measure the length you will need for straps. Take your two reserve ties and, measuring from the thin tip, cut them off at the length you want your straps.
Step 11:
Using the neckline overlap as the center of the shirt, measure out two equidistant marks, one to the left of center and one to the right of center. Sew one end of each strap to the marks.
Step 12:
Fold the bodice in half so that the back half (the half without straps) is on top of the front half (the half with straps). Mark the center of the back half. Repeat the process above, measuring out two equidistant marks, one to the left of center and one to the right of center. Sew the other end of each strap to the marks.
And voilá! There you have it. Just another reason to hit the town strut your stuff. PR [0]
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