Changing T-Shirt Necklines

    This post is going to contain a few headless pics.  Today is one of those days that make-up and hair just aren't going to happen.  It's been a full week of appointment after appointment and today is my only day to just lay around and live that slug life.  I went to put on one of the "around the house" tees I just got in the mail and it needed a little work.  So, I decided to put the slug life aside for about 10 minutes to take some photos while I worked on these shirts.

    I know I've just done a post about T-shirts, and I don't want to be redundant, but it's so hot outside T-shirts are moving to the front of my wardrobe and are therefore on my mind.  About a month ago I came across some cute graphic tees by Tultex for $5 each, so I bought three.  When they arrived, I remembered why I don't usually buy generic graphic tees.  The reason is the neckline; I can't stand it.  I feel like I can't breathe when I wear the standard unisex crew neck tee.  I know I said in a previous post that I used to buy mens white tee shirts in bulk, but things have changed over the years and those days are long gone.
    Normally when I have a T-shirt that doesn't work for me anymore either because it's too tight, short, or just plain silly, I hand it down to whichever of my girls calls dibs.  They turn them into summer nightgowns, or occasionally they can wear them as tops.  This time I decided to convert these snug crews into comfortable scoop necks.  It's fairly easy and only takes a minute or two.  Here's how I do it:

You'll need:

a tee shirt (obviously)

fabric scissors, or extremely sharp scissors

2 straight pins

First I fold the tee in half so that the shoulder seams line up.  This will create a symmetrical neckline.  I smooth out all the wrinkles so that when I start to cut I won't have jagged edges.  Once everything is smooth and lined up, I pin the the fabric at each side.

I usually begin cutting about 1/2 inch below the neckline.  If you want a deeper scoop neck, start about an inch below the neckline.  *Remember that jersey fabric stretches over time, so it's better to start with less of a scoop that slowly grows than to start with a big scoop that sags to unwearable depths.*  Staying 1/2" below the neckline, I follow the natural curve of the shirt until I am over the shoulder seam.

Once I pass the shoulder seam I gradually cut closer to the neckline until I'm following right up next to it.  This prevents a low scoop in the back that will make the shirt difficult to keep from sliding off my shoulders.

And, voila!  A symmetrical collar and I can breathe.