Free Pattern: Peek-A-Chic Shirt

Mar 15

When you are a sewist, it isn’t hard to find fun fabrics to work with - both new and upcycled. My family has become somewhat “trained”. If they have clothes that don't fit or have become unwearable, I find it folded nicely on my sewing table.

When my husband has a dress shirt that is ready for upcycling, I get especially interested. During COVID, he gave me a white dress shirt to play with and it turned into a fun little sweater extension for me to wear over leggings.

The more I wore it or posted it on social media, the more people asked me about how to make it. Now the time has come for me to share the secret sauce with my free Peek-A-Chic Shirt pattern!

**Supplies:**
Upcycled Dress Shirt
Knit Elastic
Thread
Scissors
Marking Tool
Pins

Step 1:

Find an upcycled shirt that fits you around your hips and decide on your preferred length for your faux shirt bottom.
Tip: You can make it longer and then you have the option to roll it up and make it shorter.

Step 2:

Mark and cut a straight line where you decided on your length.

Step 3:

Measure elastic around your waist, or wherever you would like the sweater extender to sit. Add 3” and cut.

Step 4:

Overlap the cut edges by 1 ½”. Sew a box stitch to close your elastic loop.

Step 5:

Mark the quarters on the elastic and the shirt. Pin quarters of the shirt and elastic together and then gather and pin in between the quarter markings.
Note: The shirt will be larger than the elastic hoop, this is completely normal. Pin evenly and the gather will be perfect on your elastic.

Step 6:

Serge or zig zag stitch along the cut edge of the shirt and elastic.

Step 7:

Readjust your gathers, if needed. Flip wrong side out and stitch along bottom of edge of elastic with zig zag stitch. Keep the bottom zig bag about ⅛ to ¼” off the edge.