Converting Your T-Shirt into a Halter Pattern

• 1). Spread the t-shirt body on your cutting table. Cut the T-shirt along the side seams and armhole with sharp fabric scissors. The T-shirt body most likely has serged seams with an overlock stitch. Cut away the overlock stitch to ensure clean, raw edges.
  
  
• 2). Cut along the short sleeve under seam. Spread the sleeve open for an extra two-pieces of fabric.
  
  
• 3). Pin the front T-shirt panel onto a dress form with straight pins. Pin the back panel and contour the side seams with pins. You will most likely have excess fabric at the sides.
  
  
• 4). Cut away any excess fabric at each side seam. Leave at least a one-half inch seam allowance on each side for serging, to ensure an accurate fit.
  
  
• 5). Mark below the bust line with tailor's chalk and continue marking around the back. You will have a horizontal line around the front and back. This is the seam attaching the halter-top to the tube bottom.
  
  
• 6). Mark the two upper bodice halter panels with the desired cleavage. Another option is to cross over the two halter panels at the center front to avoid any cleavage. The term bodice is an industry term, referring to the upper half of a top. The pattern appears wide around the bust and narrows as it shapes around the neckline. Bear in mind, you will not have sufficient fabric to tie the ends. You will make a separate halter tie pattern in a later step.
  
  
• 7). Mark each upper bodice panel with a small vertical line. Continue the line into the bottom half. These lines act as sewing notches to align the top and bottom panels accurately. The term notch refers to a markings or cut used to align fabric parts prior to stitching. Notches are generally made with a notcher tool on pattern paper.
  
  
• 8). Cut out the two upper bodice halter panels leaving a half-inch seam allowance. The bottom automatically separates from the halter.
  
  
• 9). Measure the width of the halter around the neckline with a flexible tape measure. The width is most likely two inches.
  
  
• 10
  
  Spread the leftover back panel fabric on the diagonal, referred to as the bias, to make halter ties. Cutting fabric on the bias produces drape, as well as added stretch to contour around the neckline with ease.
  
  
• 11
  
  Mark a two-inch width by five-inch length halter tie on the bias back panel with tailor's chalk. Cut two ties, using the same halter tie pattern. Another option is to extend the length of the ties to 12 inches for extended back-tie tails.
  
  

Constructing the Halter

• 1). Gather the halter pattern along the bust-line seam. Use a gathering foot attachment on your sewing machine to gather the fabric, referred to as shirring. This process will contour the straight looking halter pattern into a shaped silhouette for the natural bust shape and curve.
  
  
• 2). Pin the cut parts together and fit the halter onto the dress form. Pin the halter ties to ensure you have sufficient fabric to tie the halter comfortably. It is also important to pin the upper halter bodice accurately to the bottom. A wide center front gap results in maximum cleavage.
  
  
• 3). Thread your overlock or serger machine with elasticized thread, which naturally stretches with knit fabric avoiding thread breaks. Serge the side seams as well as ties along the upper bodice neckline seam.
  
  
• 4). Iron the side seams open. For a clean finish, turn the halter seams down and iron. Machine stitch all seams with a single or double needle top stitch.
  
  
• 5). Machine stitch the upper bodice to the tube bottom to complete the halter. Cut away all loose threads.