Here are instructions on how to take a very large men's T-shirt and convert it into an extra long, fitted, plus size maternity T-shirt. It is perfect for late in the 3rd trimester when even maternity shirts can't contain your bump. If you are on the shorter side, it might even be long enough to wear with just leggings.
Tools and supplies
- Sewing machine or a lot of time for hand sewing
- Thread of a similar color to the shirt you want to convert
- 2XL Big and Tall Men's Fruit of the Loom T-Shirt (Look for the badge that says "generous length." I got mine at Walmart)
- Scissors
- Chalk or fabric pen
- Large table or flat surface (Big enough for the shirt)
- A T-Shirt that fits you well up top
Directions
- Open your pack of shirts. Take 1 out. Iron it. Yes, IRON it. It helps when trying to mark it up.
- Turn the shirt inside out. Fold it in half longways. Do this carefully so that the shoulders and sleeves line up nicely. Lie it out on a flat surface with the front facing you.
- Take the shirt that fits you well up top. Turn it inside out. Lie it on top of the men's shirt with the front facing you so that the middle of your shirt lines up with the fold in the undershirt. Your shirt should not be folded in half, but should have half of it extending past the undershirt. Make sure that the top seams of both shirts are lined up.
- Take the chalk and mark where the top and bottom of the shoulder seam of your shirt lie on the undershirt. Then, carefully lift the sleeve of your shirt and trace the edge of the shoulder seam. This does not need to be exact.
- Carefully lift your shirt off of the undershirt and place it to the side.
- Use the chalk to mark a gentle curve from the bottom of the shoulder seam that you traced all the way down to the bottom of the shirt. If you want your shirt more fitted draw your line so that it takes a long time to get close to the outside edge of the undershirt. If you want a looser fit in the bottom, draw your curve so it more quickly reaches the edge of the undershirt.
- Using a a pair of sharp scissors cut along your chalk lines through all layers of the undershirt keeping the shirt folded in half.
- On the outside of the seam (closest to the body of the shirt) cut off the sleeve away from the scraps that they are attached to.
- Place the sleeves stacked under the arm opening of the undershirt so the undershirt and sleeves are lined up at the top. Trace the curve that you cut for the shoulder on the body of the shirt onto the sleeve.
- Take the stack of sleeves and cut about 1/2" away from your chalk mark, but following the same curve. This will give you a seam allowance on the sleeve. You want to be able to sew right where you made your mark.
- For the first bit of sewing I chose to attach one sleeve. I found that pinning the stretchy T-shirt material was not effective. So, I used the darning function on my sewing machine to tack the sleeve to the body of the shirt. Then, I sewed the front of the sleeve. Followed by the back of the sleeve. Last I did the bottom or armpit of the sleeve.
- Using your chalk line as a guide, sew the side seam on the side with the finished sleeve.
- Repeat steps 11 and 12 with the other side.
- To finish your shirt you want to trim off excess threads and fabric at the seams in the arms. Use a wide zig zag stitch on your sewing machine and go over the seams in the arms. This will help prevent your shirt from ripping apart while wearing or in the wash.
- Use an iron to press the side seams open and flat against your shirt.
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