T shirts are a good item for experimentation. Inexpensive, plentiful and usually 100% cotton I shop for them in the men’s department. These shirts are larger, without seaming, yielding more usable “yardage”. They do not need to be finished on the edges  although I blanket stitch my raw edges. Serging would do as well. For the de-constructed look leave the edges unfinished.

Although I adore silks, velvets and wools they are not suitable in the warmer months.I needed to think of a way to use this abundant resource. Since many of the shirts are white and white was not in my plans I decided to dye the cotton, cut it in strips and “weave” it together .I also decided to use the words as a design element.

Attaching the strips to fusible interfacing I had “yardage” .Using my own pattern I cut the necessary shapes and stitched them together .After adding millinery wire in a channel I had created I started the trimming.

Maybe you won’t start with a hat, maybe you will. Throw caution to the wind, after all you’re only out $.99… tops.