Goodwill Alterations with Chanté Gibbs
Chanté is a local thrift blogger and sustainable designer. She is our inspiration and guide to exploring what can be done with some creative alterations and updates of thrifted finds. Each month she starts with a concept, shops our stores, and reworks her thrift finds into high-fashion pieces. She takes us on a thrift journey from start to finish, and it’s a great ride every month!
I knew for this project I wanted to incorporate tie dye with some type of cut out, so the first thing I did when I went to Goodwill was go to the women t-shirt aisle. Since the clothes are always color-coordinated at Goodwill, it was easy to focus on the white shirts. I wanted my shirt to be bigger than a size small, but not too big, with no stains or holes. Luckily, I found one that was the right size, made of cotton material and in good condition.
How do I make it?
Tie Dye Time
- First, I washed the t-shirt and chose two colors I wanted to dye it with.
- I pinched the middle of the shirt with two fingers, twisted it into a flat spiral, and bound the shirt into a circle with rubber bands.
- Next, I grabbed my gloves and poured water into the dye bottles. I lightly shook the bottle to make sure the dye was fully dissolved
- With a plastic container underneath, I applied the dye to the top of the wrapped shirt, then flipped it over to dye again on both sides.
- Then when I finished, I covered the shirt inside plastic bags to keep it damp and let it sit for 6-8 hours.
- I rinsed the shirt in the sink until there was no excess dye and cut the rubber bands.
- After that, I washed the shirt again by itself in with a small amount of detergent and put it in the dryer.
Creating the Cut-Out
- Once my shirt was dyed, I tried it on to see how much I wanted to cut off.
- I placed the shirt on my cutting board and created a horizontal line, then used my rotary cutter to cut.
- On the back of the shirt, I measured the hemline and marked where the middle was to help guide the cut-out on the back.
- I made a small vertical line 2 inches from the side seam on both sides, and I made a horizontal line under the back of the neckline for the top of the cut-out.
- To create an arch, I used my curved ruler to connect the vertical and horizontal lines. (Pro Tip: Don’t forget to include a seam allowance!)
- I used my shears to cut along all the lines I had just made.
Adding a Drawstring
- To create a new seam for the drawstring around the cut-out, I turned the shirt inside out, folded over the edge of the cut-out, and sewed it down.
- Then I grabbed the bottom piece of the shirt that I had cut off at the beginning. I laid it out on the mat again and marked a horizontal line about one inch from the top of it on both sides. I did this step twice to create two strips that I could sew together end-to-end to use as my drawstring.
- I folded the new long strip in half lengthwise and sewed the edge together all the way down to create my new drawstring.
- I used a small safety pin to insert the drawstring through the cut-out’s seam.
- Finally, I folded back the hem of the shirt and sewed down the bottom seam.
What was your inspiration?
The theme for this month’s Stitched Up is Summer! And to me one of the things that remind me of summer is tie dye. I have always loved how versatile tie dye is and the variety of colors you can combine. Plus, it is one of the fashion trends that always makes a comeback!
Summertime is quickly approaching! Do not forget your local thrift store for cute accessories and summer essentials.
