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Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt
It's cheeky. It's chic. It's all yours. The T-Revolution continues. From FASHION: Get It Twisted tank top. Madame Butterfly halter. My Way or the Thigh Way leggings. To STUFF: toddler hat and cat toys, wine totes, laptop sleeves, and the Ants Go Marching picnic blanket. Plus the greenest grocery tote ever. The author of the bestselling Generation T offers up 120 new ideas to reclaim, resuscitate, and refashion the humble T-shirt—that's right, like the ones you have at the back of your closet—into something completely new. • A quarter of the projects are no sew, and a primer explains the techniques, including braiding, knotting, twisting, sizing, embellishing, and simple stitching. • Plus throw your very own Tee Party (suggested playlists included).
308 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
17 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 23, 2024
What do you do with all those concert t-shirts in the bottom drawer? What about those two or three favorite tees that have a bleach spot or a hole? Sure, you can turn them into rags for waxing the car or cleaning up kitchen spills, but what about turning them into something that is actually cool and still lets you enjoy the unique artwork or favorite saying? What you need for inspiration is "Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt" by Megan Nicolay.
Whether you call yourself a refashionista, a recessionista, or repurposing queen, this book is for you. It has so many ways to turn t-shirts into clothes, games, blankets, toys, and more. Instead of letting your shirts clutter the closet or end up in the landfill, try one or more of these ways to change that old shirt into a new wardrobe.
Whether you call yourself a refashionista, a recessionista, or repurposing queen, this book is for you. It has so many ways to turn t-shirts into clothes, games, blankets, toys, and more. Instead of letting your shirts clutter the closet or end up in the landfill, try one or more of these ways to change that old shirt into a new wardrobe.
January 20, 2018
Lots of creative ideas for making t-shirts into other tops, accessories, bags, and household items.
January 30, 2021
Lots if projects, but most are a variation on a theme. Pet, kid, and household projects too. Some are no-sew, but most need basic whip or running stitch hand sewing. Fun for the DIY punk.
July 2, 2021
Not as good as the original. Nothing I really was interested in.
April 27, 2010
How I Came To Read This Book: I believe after a conversation with some industry peers, we got onto the subject of Earth Day and the fact there were some local women in town who could weave the world’s most amazing handbags out of plastic bags. I did some looking around online and came across this book, which reinvents tees into…a lot.
The Plot: There is a prequel of sorts to this book that reinvents the humble tee into 100 or so different clothing variations from skirts to halter tops to wedding dresses. This book is meant to go beyond mere clothing, although the majority of projects still relate to clothes. There is one section of all-new t-shirt clothing options, plus a section dedicated to men’s and children’s wear, and a very vague section that somewhat relates to cars, somewhat to more clothing. There is a fair bit of beyond though as well – accessories, home décor items, pet accessories / toys, blankets and more are all items up for your creativity.
The Good & The Bad: As I said, if you’re expecting 100+ ways to transform a tee into something other than a tee (or a piece of clothing), then you will be a bit disappointed. That being said, the book is extremely helpful – from a tutorial on sewing and knots to tons of photos (including colour sections) and graphics to help you along. Every project is assigned a difficulty level from 1 to 5, which makes it very user-friendly whether you’re just getting into or a seasoned expert in sewing and crafting. I took this book out from the library and in the few weeks that I had it, I made the pin-up girl halter (so cute and comfy, I plan to make several), the knotted pillow (cute, but my stuffing is falling out so I put t-shirt scraps in to stop the flow), and started on a set of t-shirt placemats (a bit problematic for my lack of skills). I'm not saying every project is gorgeous - after working with t-shirt fabric a bit, I can't imagine that every project will lend itself as well as it appears in the book, and there are many I wouldn't touch, but there were enough really neat looking ideas to overshadow the not-so-nice ones.
The Bottom Line: I enjoyed this book enough and loved the idea of having a ‘Tee Party’ so much I plan to actually purchase it.
Anything Memorable?: Not really.
50-Book Challenge?: Seeing as how I didn’t read this book cover to cover, I’m not giving myself a credit here. I just thought I’d put it on my fellow GoodReader’s radars.
The Plot: There is a prequel of sorts to this book that reinvents the humble tee into 100 or so different clothing variations from skirts to halter tops to wedding dresses. This book is meant to go beyond mere clothing, although the majority of projects still relate to clothes. There is one section of all-new t-shirt clothing options, plus a section dedicated to men’s and children’s wear, and a very vague section that somewhat relates to cars, somewhat to more clothing. There is a fair bit of beyond though as well – accessories, home décor items, pet accessories / toys, blankets and more are all items up for your creativity.
The Good & The Bad: As I said, if you’re expecting 100+ ways to transform a tee into something other than a tee (or a piece of clothing), then you will be a bit disappointed. That being said, the book is extremely helpful – from a tutorial on sewing and knots to tons of photos (including colour sections) and graphics to help you along. Every project is assigned a difficulty level from 1 to 5, which makes it very user-friendly whether you’re just getting into or a seasoned expert in sewing and crafting. I took this book out from the library and in the few weeks that I had it, I made the pin-up girl halter (so cute and comfy, I plan to make several), the knotted pillow (cute, but my stuffing is falling out so I put t-shirt scraps in to stop the flow), and started on a set of t-shirt placemats (a bit problematic for my lack of skills). I'm not saying every project is gorgeous - after working with t-shirt fabric a bit, I can't imagine that every project will lend itself as well as it appears in the book, and there are many I wouldn't touch, but there were enough really neat looking ideas to overshadow the not-so-nice ones.
The Bottom Line: I enjoyed this book enough and loved the idea of having a ‘Tee Party’ so much I plan to actually purchase it.
Anything Memorable?: Not really.
50-Book Challenge?: Seeing as how I didn’t read this book cover to cover, I’m not giving myself a credit here. I just thought I’d put it on my fellow GoodReader’s radars.
January 27, 2010
Megan Nicolay's follow up to Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt shows even more versatility. It is filled with T-Shirt tidbits and sidenotes that once again sings the wonders of this wardrobe staple.
As stated in the title, there are projects for pets, babies, friends, your home, car, and you (a teen to early thirty-something with a funky sense of style)... but I have to say many of these projects were kind of ugly (does one's home really need a fluffy toilet cover cosey or a macreme style plant holder/sling?).
The best parts of the book, though, make it a worthy buy: Methods on how to fit a T-shirt, two projects (Transformer and Tie, Tie, Again) that could rival American Apparel's Le Sac Dress, and some fun assessories.
Most projects, are again, set at an easy to medium level. Some are even no sew.
As stated in the title, there are projects for pets, babies, friends, your home, car, and you (a teen to early thirty-something with a funky sense of style)... but I have to say many of these projects were kind of ugly (does one's home really need a fluffy toilet cover cosey or a macreme style plant holder/sling?).
The best parts of the book, though, make it a worthy buy: Methods on how to fit a T-shirt, two projects (Transformer and Tie, Tie, Again) that could rival American Apparel's Le Sac Dress, and some fun assessories.
Most projects, are again, set at an easy to medium level. Some are even no sew.
November 30, 2012
absolutely love this book. Unlike many 't-shirt surgery' books, this one includes very wearable projects, not just skimpy midriff-revealing halter tops. There are also sections for home accessories, kids' clothes, and even items for pets. Many of these projects are simple enough for older kids to try - a great way to teach them how to sew, a life skill for which they will one day thank you. There are projects for guys, too! And all you need is t-shirts, cheap and easy to obtain from thrift and discount stores, or just clean out your t-shirt drawer and give your favorite tees a new life. Many of these can easily be done with hand-sewing in just a few hours. This is definitely a keeper. I loved it so much, I also have the prequel. Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt
November 22, 2010
Second book of Megan Nicolay's about altering tshirts for other uses/styles. Most of these ideas aren't apparel, and there's some mixing of shirt ideas in with other categories (i.e. there's a men's section that has men's fashion ideas including tshirt styles), which makes it a little annoying and necessary to flip through the whole thing. But lots of other cool ideas, including kids fashion, which I will totally be all over once I'm a mama.
July 15, 2009
So many fun ways to salvage and restyle t-shirts. Tried my first project today utilizing some of my husband's t-shirts that shrunk in the wash. The "if you pleats" shirt on page 40 worked out great. I have an intermediate understanding of sewing, and this project was easy-peasy for me with clear, easy directions! Restyling old t-shirts is much kinder to the environment and wallet than throwing the shirts in the rag-bag, and more fun than donating them to languish on a rack at Goodwill.
August 13, 2016
I love, love these Generation T books. Some of the instructions I had to read a couple of times before getting what the author meant, but otherwise, an excellent book. Everything I made turned out awesome. This is a book great for gift ideas. I go to thrift stores and hunt for novelty tees or tees of tv shows my friends like (like True Blood, Burn Notice, Battlestar, Gossip Girl) and then I make outfits, baby clothes, home decor. They love it! Great book. I look through it often.
May 1, 2013
While I did find two or three projects I wanted to try, I couldn't help but notice that nowadays I could find clearer instructions for most of these projects simply by casually browsing Pinterest. It's hard out here for a craft book these days.
That said, some of the projects are cute (if you're tiny), some are kind of weird and some are useful. It's a good mix and the instructions are plainly explained and include illustrations so it could be worse.
That said, some of the projects are cute (if you're tiny), some are kind of weird and some are useful. It's a good mix and the instructions are plainly explained and include illustrations so it could be worse.
October 5, 2024
I read this right after reading the first volume, Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt, and I think this one is marginally better although I doubt I'd make anything from either book. I think I like a more finished (professional?) look to my DIY work and some of the stuff in here definitely veers towards the schlock-y. There is much to inspire in here, though, and would definitely be good for intrepid teens.
April 26, 2011
Ideas I’m interested in trying:
2 – A knot above the rest
3 – Get it twisted
4 – Snowflake fake
15 – Looney tunic
19 – Gaucho Marx
27 – Hoodnight moon
28 – Diamond mining (scarf)
36 – Running with scissors
59 – Shake it up baby
62 – Brought to you by the letter T
79 – Tattoo you
90 – Life, glove and the pursuit of happiness
91 - Mane-iac
105 – Love it or weave it
113 - Sashes to sashes
2 – A knot above the rest
3 – Get it twisted
4 – Snowflake fake
15 – Looney tunic
19 – Gaucho Marx
27 – Hoodnight moon
28 – Diamond mining (scarf)
36 – Running with scissors
59 – Shake it up baby
62 – Brought to you by the letter T
79 – Tattoo you
90 – Life, glove and the pursuit of happiness
91 - Mane-iac
105 – Love it or weave it
113 - Sashes to sashes
May 16, 2012
I was looking for ways to improve some t-shirts while continuing to wear them as shirts, so I think the first book in this series would have been more helpful--but my library only had this one. It was still good for inspiration, and I successfully combined some of the ideas here to de-boring-ify my shirts.
September 16, 2013
More ideas to make from your old T-shirts instead of tossing them out because giving them to charity shops are just a stop on the way the the dump because no one buys used T-shirts.
Cute gifts for the holidays or just give the book to any of your crafty friends.
3 stars for lots of imagination to up-market your old T-shirts.
Cute gifts for the holidays or just give the book to any of your crafty friends.
3 stars for lots of imagination to up-market your old T-shirts.
July 10, 2014
I like that there is a variety of projects for women, men, animals and accessories. There are a few I might try out for fun. I didn't like all the tied projects. Maybe I'm old-school, but I couldn't have worn much of this stuff which shows too much skin even back in my younger days.
See : 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special by Faith Blakeney.
See : 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special by Faith Blakeney.
December 24, 2009
what do you get when you "transform" a t-shirt?
something that covers significantly less than the shirt did.
there are some cool ideas in this book, if you can get past the immodest grunge club attire the author seems to think is uberfashionable.
something that covers significantly less than the shirt did.
there are some cool ideas in this book, if you can get past the immodest grunge club attire the author seems to think is uberfashionable.
March 4, 2016
3.5 stars
Although there are great ideas here that are easy to make, the illustrations are mostly drawn and all, even the few photos, are in orange and gray duotones making them difficult to differentiate and make out.
Although there are great ideas here that are easy to make, the illustrations are mostly drawn and all, even the few photos, are in orange and gray duotones making them difficult to differentiate and make out.
August 16, 2011
While I am really really excited that there are some dresses in here, none of the guy t-shirt reconstructions were worthwhile, and who needs a toilet seat cover made from tied t-shirt scraps? Verdict: More silly filler than the last one, but at the same time more projects I want to do.
March 19, 2012
This one had fewer clothing designs, but I like some of them better than in the first book. I have to admit I skipped the section on Babies and Pets, but made several of the other designs with some thrift store finds. They turned out okay, but not great. Will keep trying.
August 5, 2015
Mostly tacky ideas, but I think most people would find at least a few ideas worth trying so it's worth a read. It seemed silly that most patterns suggest you use a large or XL tee as the whole point is to recycle what you have and not everyone (certainly not her models) are that size!
September 30, 2009
what a fun craft book. I'll never look at a t shirt the same way again. lots of no sew projects too. fun.
April 20, 2010
Must buy more huge, ugly t-shirts to make EVERYTHING in this book.
January 25, 2010
Way better than the first Gen. T!
February 3, 2016
Didn't like this one as much as the first in the set.
November 7, 2011
Not too many wearable ideas. I liked the hearts on the sleeves and the western style detail on the t shirt. Neat t shirt closet storage idea (sew the two sides together in a grid and cut holes).
October 18, 2011
There were several ideas I liked in this book. However, I would probably make them out of different material than a t-shirt so they looked a little classier.
December 13, 2014
Very DIY. Has some no-sew options. I'd make/wear some of these, and there are enough patterns/ideas in the book that I think anyone could find at least something.
February 12, 2015
Good sew and no-sew projects
August 19, 2009
designs were too teeny bopper 80's madonna chic for me!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews