deconstruct- lay t-shirt flat, and cut apart as follows:

- carefully cut sleeves off body, then cut open at bottom hem

- trim away top/ collar

- cut front and back into separate pieces (allows for better fitting finished product)

neck line/ top edge:

finish the top edge of the shirt (i used a contrasting zig zag stitch for effect). you can also leave this edge raw.

the back:

- determine desired height of back panel, measuring up from preserved bottom hem (of original shirt). mine is 6 inches lower than the front piece (after finishing both edges).

- for structure/ support, finish top edge of back panel by folding/ pressing and stitching top edge w/ zig zag stitch.

shape the body- making a pattern:

- lay back and front on top of each other, right sides facing each other, and bottom edges lined up.

- trace your general curve (armpit to hip) onto some paper, then cut along curve

- use cutout to trace your curve onto t-shirt

- sew t-shirt front & back together along traced curve line (keep in mind that shirt will stretch, adjust seam to appropriate size/ shape. repeat for both sides.

next- turning ex-sleeves into the halter strap:

- trim the rounded edge off to make the longest possible 2 inch wide strips, keeping the sleeve edge intact.

fold and press, then sew the sleeve (cut edge) to reinforce the strap and create a clean line.

i used constrasting thread w/zig zag stitch so the fabric could still stretch, but didn't distort the edge overly much.

attach strap:

- front panel should be 4-6 inches taller than back panel

- strap should attach to edge of front panel, extending down to top edge of back panel

- adjust angle of strap/ shirt joining to run from outside top of back panel, along outside edge of front, to back of neck. mine was sewn to be a fixed length halter strap, but could also easily be adjustable w/ a tie behind the neck (depending on how much fabric you have)

optional: add darts to side edge as necessary/ appropriate (you will need to do this before sewing side seams). darts are helpful for adding support for bustier ladies, but are of marginal use in a stretchy t-shirt. if you do attempt them, darts should point towards nipple, but end approx 1 inch away, and should start from the bottom or side seam (for lifting effect).

my husband took this pic- apparently he was not so focused on showcasing the shirt...

but given that (despite how this pic looks), i am not shaped like a porn star (those are just b-cups!), i think the shirt turned out pretty flattering!