Sew-a-long with Vix - Transforming a boring band tee into a rocking boob tube

The pickings were slim at yesterday's car boot sale but I did manage to snaffle this official Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street tee shirt from a 10p box. I love the Stones but I'm not a fan of tee shirts so I refashioned it into a boob tube.

Here's how to do it.
(All measurements are imperial because I'm a pre-1971 model and therefore non-metric).

• Measure across the widest part of your bust (in my case, 32inches), halve the measurement and add an extra inch for the seam allowance (which for me made a total of 17inches). 
• Work out how long you want the top to be and add an extra inch for a hem (I wanted the top to finish just below my waist, making a total of 18inches in length). 

• Using a straight rule chalk-mark these measurements on to the right side of the tee shirt both at the front and back. 
• Cut both pieces to size.

• With the right sides facing towards each other machine down one side using a zig-zag stitch (or hand sew using running stitch) allowing a half-inch seam. 

• Turned the top half-inch of the printed side of fabric over to the wrong side, pin into place and zig-zag stitch across the entire top. 
• Sew the other side of the tee shirt together, with the right sides facing each other.
• Hem the bottom in the same way as you hemmed the top.

• Using some quarter-inch wide elastic cut a piece the same width as the original measurement (in my case 17inches), securely sewing the end to the inner side seam and then hand-stitch the elastic all across the top, stretching the elastic taut after each stitch.

 The result should be ruched, like so.

There we have it, a cute boob tube in less than an hour. A perfect project for a wet afternoon.

Combined with a heap of my heavy metal jewellery my outfit got a great reception from the bikers in the pub last night.

With the exception of the silver lapis ring (Exam passing reward from Dad in 1977), the huge silver and brass bangle (inherited from Mum) and the Gaia ring (the divine Kitty) all my jewellery is from India. The nail varnish is Barry M's Cyan Blue.

Original 1970s C&A maxi (50p, car boot sale), Stones' tee shirt (10p, car boot sale), peep-toe Russo platforms (£5, Top shop 2006)

Want to make yourself something easy while the weather's rubbish?

If you don't fancy a boob tube there's my big hair tutorial here and my felt chrysanthemum tutorial here.

See you soon.