In the past, we've covered how important it is to be smart and not scared when faced with a crisis. Whether it be because of a natural disaster or financial loss, it is always good to be prepared with not only food but also have the skills and knowledge of how to become more self-sufficient. One of those being sewing. In the past, we wrote about how to sew a queen size quilt by hand. Today, we will be giving you tips on how to sew a basic shirt from scratch. Items Needed:

• 1 Yard Knit (stretchy) fabric
• Old shirt that still fits
• Freeze Paper
• Pencil
• Scissor
• Thread
• Iron
• Pins

Step by Step Guide to Sewing Your Own Shirt There are a couple of different avenues you can take when sewing the perfect shirt. If you’re looking for the simplest way; take a shirt that fits you, fold it in half and place on a large piece of freezer paper. Trace around the shirt with a couple of extra inches in the length and width for the seam allowance. Cut the pattern out of the freeze dryer paper. Next, lay out the yard of fabric. Making sure that there are no bumps. On both ends, fold the fabric towards the center. Place the t-shirt pattern on one side with the edge touching the fold. Make sure to pin through both layers of fabric while working around the outer edges of the pattern. Repeat on the other side. Make sure that you do not cut the pattern on the fold. only cut around the edges where you traced. Lay the front side on top of the back and pin both layers. Sew the curved area above and below the arm. Hem the shirts sleeves and bottom by ¼ inch. We recommend using a slight zigzag stitch or double needle. Next, measure around the shirts neckline and minus 4 inches. Cut the ribbing to that length. On this design, it ended up being 24 inches long and 1 ½ inches tall. Fold the ribbing in half and press. In the middle of the ribbing, pin it to the front of the neckline on the shirt. Sew around the neckline and press flat.

This is how the shirt should look at the end!

What are some of your favorite things to sew?

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