The Lemony Zebra Shirt

My husband came up with the name, the Lemony Zebra Shirt, because he said it looked like a cross between a lemon and a zebra. 
I think he got it right...don't ya think?

Notice the bag...it's the Chic Denim Bag...click here for the tutorial 

I've had this idea in my head for awhile now and I am really pleased at how it turned out.  It took a lot of work, but the end result was worth it for me.  I tend to turn to ruffles when I remake a shirt, so this was new territory for me in a way.  It is simple yet it stands out on its own.

So this is what I did. 

I bought two shirts; one that fits and one larger, same color. 

The larger one I took the sleeves off and separated the front from the back.  

Because this shirt material is very sheer and somewhat see through, I decided to use both the front and back of the larger shirt to give the shirt some sort of stability (if that makes sense).  Layer the front and back of the larger shirt to the front of the shirt that fits..

and pin, pin, pin. 

Now sew straight or not so straight lines across the front making sure to back stitch at the beginning and at the end of your stitch.

When done, cut down the middle between stitches.  This is the same concept as this tutorial.  Now you have 2 layers of fabric that are sewn to your shirt. 

These layers will be cut again.  This time, cut both layers that are ON TOP of your stitch line about 1/4 inch from the stitch. Then cut each layer individually that are ON THE BOTTOM of your stitch line.  See the bottom picture for an idea of how it should look.  

I know this is a lot of work, but it really is pretty.   And don't worry about cutting straight lines.  Remember knit fabric doesn't fray but rather soften up with each wash so the cuts you make will just give the shirt character...

Close up of the cuts

I really like how the stitches curved up towards the sleeve

Because I took pictures at different times while making this shirt, the color of the shirt varies.  The first picture is the true color of the shirt.