Fixing a low neckline

I found this cool t-shirt a while ago on one of Macy's sale racks. Unfortunately, the neckline is a little low for my comfort...and I always intended on fixing it...but as that goes, it's been in my closet for a while.

Since my husband had to work early this morning (and we were up with the roosters), I decided to make the most of my early morning and finally fix this low neckline.

Here are a few ideas to fill in those low necklines, and although all of them are cute ideas, I ended up liking the last one the best...after 6 previous attempts.

Design #1 - flat ruffles

I tried a flat ruffled look by cutting strips from a navy t-shirt and laying them systematically on the inside of the neckline (the t-shirt is inside out). This design would also be cute sewn right on the front of the neckline.

Although it is a cute look, after trying it on I decided the navy knit was a bit too heavy for this t-shirt design.

Design #2 - Flowing ruffles

I had a ruffled strip of black sheer polyester from something I had cut up, so I thought I'd try it underneath the neckline...but after trying it on (while still pinned on underneath - and ouch, watch those pins), it looked like I had black lettuce growing up from under my shirt. No thank you.

But it might be lovely on a different shirt...and maybe sewn directly onto the front.

Design #3 - Modern day dickie

I was going to cut it down to fit, of course, but I pinned it quickly to try on (the shirt is still inside out)...and it just wasn't the look I was going for. I really had wanted to keep the original shape of the neckline, but it would work well just to fill in the "v neck" (cut to size, of course).

Design #4 - flat strip

Next, I decided to go back to the strips and just lay one around the inside of the neckline. However, once again, after trying it on, I saw it just wasn't the right look. A bit too taylored or something.

So for design #5 I tried the same flat strip look on the outside of the neckline...but again, although it's kind of cute, after trying it on, it just wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

Design #6 - rows of flat strips

Remember how I said I had wanted to keep the original line of the neckline? Well at this point I was realizing I needed to get over it. This project was becoming much longer than I had anticipated (isn't that always the way?) and I wanted to get this t-shirt done already!

So, I decided to cut the strips a little shorter and go with a little different idea of "filling in the v-neck". This is from the inside...but again, after trying it on, it didn't look like I thought it would.

HOWEVER, as all designers know, sometimes it is your mistakes that lead you to your final destination. With that said, drum roll please...

Design #7 make-your-own-design-on-the-front (for a lack of better words)

With the strips in design #6, I designed a little something directly on the front of the shirt. And I actually liked it.

Now if only I had the energy to sew it on.

haha

Actually, I'm not kidding.

Seriously folks? By this point, all this trial and error at the early hours of the morning has made me really tired...so now that I've FINALLY settled on a design, I think I'll have to wait to sew it on later. I have to leave for work in a half an hour...if only I'd slept in when the rooster crowed.

(and in case you're wondering, we don't live on a farm. And we don't have a rooster. But if we did he would have been crowing. The End.)

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