How To Make A Color Block Top

Hi, I am Cyndi from bdancewear.com and today I am going to show you how take a regular shirt and turn it into a two-tone version. This is really important for boys. Sometimes they do not match what is going on with the girls and shirts are just so plain. Perhaps you do not want to buy a custom made shirt but you want to make them just a little bit different, you want to give them a little extra color, or maybe coordinate with some of the colors that are in the girl’s costumes.  In those cases, this is the perfect thing to do and so-o-o-o easy.

Supplies:

1. Shirt
2. Coordinating or Matching Material
3. Matching Thread
4. Pins
5. Tailor’s Chalk, Marking Pen or bar of soap
6. Scissors

Directions:

1. Choosing Your Materials

There are only two items you have to choose: 1) a regular shirt and 2) the material. The shirt and material can be your favorite colors or they can coordinate with costumes that the girls in a group are going to wear. In this example, I have chosen to use a silver shirt and gold material.

2. Cutting the Shirt and Material

First, draw a diagonal line across the front of the shirt with Tailor’s Chalk or a bar of soap so you know exactly where you want the bottom half to go. Next, lay the shirt on a flat surface and cut the shirt along that line. Since the front and back will be the same, it is important to make sure that the front and back of the shirt are lined up and there are no wrinkles in the material on the front and the back of the shirt before cutting the shirt. When you cut this horizontal line, it is very important to make sure that the line is cut in a nice strong, straight line and is not wavy. If you have a rotary cutter, it is really easy to cut both front and back together and keep them lined up. If you do not have a rotary cutter or you are concerned about the front and back moving, I suggest that you pin the front and back together along this horizontal line.

Once you have cut the shirt along the horizontal line, you will have the bottom portion of the shirt that you can use as a guide to cut the bottom material. You will need to cut material for the bottom of the front and the back and they should be mirror images of each other. You need to make sure to allow for the seam allowance on both the top and the material. It is also important to allow extra material on the bottom of the material for the hem. If you do not allow for the seam allowance on the shirt, you will end up with a shirt that is shorter than you want. This is the perfect time to adjust the length of the final shirt in case the original shirt is too short or too long.

Last, open the side seams of the shirt four to five inches from the bottom.

3. Pinning the Pieces Together

The next step is pinning the bottom half of the shirt front to the top half. Lay the bottom half upside down on the top and carefully pin the shirt and material together. Make sure that the shirt and material are pinned together in a few places and that they line up otherwise the seam will be lumpy. In color blocking, it is important that the seams are very smooth. Then do the same on the backside. Double check that everything is okay – it matches up, nothing is upside down and the side seams match up where the gold material meets the silver. You always want to check all the details before you sew the pieces together. This is the time to make any adjustments to ensure that all of these details are correct because taking out stitches is no fun. In fact, it is very frustrating and can cause holes in the shirt or material where you removed the stitches. This is the best time to make any necessary adjustments.

I use my fingers to control the material and make sure that everything matches up but most people prefer to pin the pieces together to make sure that nothing shifts as they are sewing. But that is totally up to you.

4. Sewing the Material and Shirt

As always, backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to secure the stitches. I am going to use a stretch stitch but if you do not have a stretch stitch, you can do a zigzag stitch. Always stretch it out afterwards to make sure that the seams do not cramp up. Then do the same on the other side. If you see anything wrong, you still have time to make adjustments.

Once the front and back pieces are sewn together, turn the shirt inside out and sew the side seams. As you pin the side seams, make sure that the horizontal seams in the front and in the back match up. You also want to make sure the side seams match up at the hem line. As far as the horizontal seams are concerned, you have the choice of having both edges of the horizontal seam face down or having them open. I prefer to make sure that the horizontal seams are pinned open at the ends so as to ensure that there are no bulges in the side seams. Whatever you decide, make sure they are the same on the front and the back and on both sides of the shirt. Make sure the side seam stays nice and straight as you are sewing it. Of course, backstitch at the beginning and end of the side seams.

5. Hemming Shirt

When you get to the point where you are ready to hem the shirt, you need to think about how wide you want the hem to be. Do you want an inch hem, half an inch or what? You should keep in mind how much allowance you left when you originally cut the material. However, this is a good spot to have the wearer try the shirt on if you desire so that you can adjust the hem if necessary. You could also use a shirt the wearer already has that has a good length as a guide. Once the width of the hem is determined, pin the hem all the way around the bottom of the shirt. I like to use the guides next to the face plate of my sewing machine to make sure that it stays nice and even. I am sewing a nice zigzag stitch for this hem so that it allows for stretching. A stretch stitch is even better if your machine has one.

I tend not to top stitch when I am doing a project like this because sometimes it can make it wavy looking if it stretches the fabric while you are top stitching it.

Take your time while doing this. I know I make it look fast but I have been doing this a long time. Unless you have been sewing for a very long time, you cannot expect to do it as fast. It is, however, an easy project to do.

And there you have it – a nice two-tone shirt.