T-Shirt Sugery: Off-the-Shoulder with The Dollyrots

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T-shirt surgery is one of my favorite things. Turning a standard tee into an off-the-shoulder tee is one of the simplest such surgeries because fabric scissors are the only required supplies.


For this project, I altered my new Dollyrots T-shirt, which was part of my Valentine's Day present. At their Sacramento Bows & Arrows show, the band offered a T-shirt, vinyl album and digital copy of the album for just $15. Sweet.

 
Step 1: Lay the shirt on a flat surface.  On the front of the shirt, cut a half circle or "scoop" between the sleeve seams. I like to cut a couple inches in from the sleeve seams so I have room to correct any jagged lines. I cut, check the fit, and then cut more.



Step 2: Cut a straight line along the back of the shirt, just below the collar seam. The start and end points of this cut should match the same points of the scoop cut. The straight cut keeps the shirt from slipping too far down your shoulders.

It helps to have a dog supervise your work.

Step 3: Cut a straight line along the bottom of the shirt, just above the seam, cutting the front and back of the shirt together. The fabric will roll at the bottom, so it's always best to cut the least amount of fabric and then check the fit before cutting higher above the seam.

Step 4: Grab the bottom of the shirt at both sides and pull the fabric to stretch the shirt for a looser fit at the bottom. You can also do this at the neck if you want a looser fit without cutting more fabric.


And, because they're awesome:
The Dollyrots at Bows & Arrows, Feb. 15, 2013

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