This series is sponsored by Baby Lock. For over 40 years, Baby Lock has been dedicated to the love of sewing by creating machines for sewing, embroidery, quilting and serging – all with ease-of-use, high quality and a touch of elegance.
I have a little love affair with dresses. There is something really awesome about wearing only one piece of clothing and being fully dressed. And not just dressed, but sort of dressed up! Like, no one realizes you haven’t showered in two days because you’ve been chasing snot-nosed babies, dressed as pirates, all around the house since last week! Not that would know anything about that…
Today I’m going to show you how to take the basic tee shirt pattern that you made on Tuesday (either by rub-off, or by drafting) and turn it into a simple tee-shirt dress! I’m actually going to get a little carried away and show you how to make it into two different dresses, with possibilities for hundreds more. Miriam will be taking a basic tee pattern and making a Peplum Tee Variation, so be sure to check that out, too!
To make your tee shirt dress pattern, you’ll want to have a few basic measurements handy. I keep a notebook page with all of my measurements written down so they are always available when I’m ready to make something new. Mim describes how to take basic measurements in her post about Drafting a Tee.
First, we’re going to make a super simple tee shirt dress. Basically, it’s just a tee shirt that’s long enough to be called a dress. The pattern that you have will work perfectly for the top section of the dress. We’re just going to make sure it will fit over your hips, and extend the hem down as far as you’d like. I made mine to the knee, but am probably going to make the same thing into a maxi very soon.
Grab your tracing paper, a pencil, a ruler and your basic tee pattern. Lay the front bodice pattern along the edge of your paper and trace around it.
1. Mark the length you measured from your shoulder to your hip and make a mark.
2. Measure out your 1/4 hip measurement at that mark to ensure your tee shirt dress will fit over your bum!
3. Measure down from the shoulder to your desired hem length and make a mark.
4. Use your ruler to extend the tee shirt side seam down towards your new hem length. If you want a more loose a-line skirt, extend the line at an angle. I am sort of boxy shaped, so I like mine a little straighter. As long as the tee gets over your hip and stays at least that wide, it will look great (narrower will make a more form-fitted dress.)
Repeat the above steps with the back pattern piece so you have a front and back dress pattern.
The neckband and sleeves are the same as the original pattern. If you want to add a little pocket, trace around the bottom of a small cup and extend the sides up to a square for a pocket pattern piece!
Ready, set, cut out all of your pattern pieces out. If you’re attaching a pocket, pin and stitch it on first, before you construct the dress. The dress construction will be identical to the Basic Tee Shirt Construction we did yesterday.
Finish the hems using whatever Finishing Techniques you choose! Done and done. Could that have been any easier?
I’m digging the comfy, easy look of this basic tee shirt dress. It’s fitted enough to wear alone, or I can cinch it with a belt to pull the look together even more.
Pattern: Tee Shirt Dress Variation, made by me
Fabric: lightweight cotton/spandex jersey from my stash with a woven chambray pocket
Now, ready for something a tiny bit more interesting? Let’s turn that basic tee pattern into a fitted, v-neck dress with a waistband, 3/4 length sleeves, and a circle skirt!
Don’t get intimidated by the additional pattern pieces or the new shapes. This type of dress variation is really simple to make, and you can ensure a great fit by using your own measurements again.
Once again, grab your tracing paper, pencil, ruler, and basic tee pattern. Lay out a sheet of tracing paper and trace the basic tee pattern on the Center Fold (CF) edge. To make the looser tee into a fitted bodice, follow the steps below:
1. Measure from shoulder to bust and make a mark.
2. At that mark, measure perpendicular to the CF your 1/4 bust measurement and draw a line.
3. Measure from shoulder to waist and mark.
4. At the waist mark, measure your 1/4 waist, perpendicular to the CF and draw a line.
5. Measure from shoulder to low waist and mark.
6. Just as above, draw a perpendicular line from CF at the low waist mark the distance of your 1/4 low waist measurement.
7. Connect the outer edges of the lines you just made, tracing along the neckline, shoulder, and arm scythe just as before, then along the waist and low waist lines. This will be your waistband, and you should re-trace it to add seam allowance.
Now you have a new fitted bodice and waistband! Follow the same steps for the back bodice.
If you want to leave the bodice one piece, without a separate waistband, just skip the step where you cut it off and add seam allowance. Without that step, the bodice will be a single piece. I think this could be really cool color-blocked, with the skirt, waistband, and bodice all different colors. Maybe ombre? Get creative!
To lengthen the sleeve, first trace around the basic sleeve pattern. Using your ruler, measure in a straight line from the shoulder cap down to the desired sleeve length. Mark at the bicep and forearm lengths, and measure your 1/2 bicep and 1/2 forearm circumferences, then connect the dots from the underarm seam of the pattern to the new forearm-length (3/4) hem.
To make a circle skirt, you’ll just need your 1/4 waist measurement and your waist to hem length. In the corner of a new sheet of drafting paper, use a flexible measuring tape to measure your 1/4 waist as if it were 1/4 of a circle. From that line, you’ll use your ruler to measure out the waist-to-hem length every couple inches along the waist line. This will give you a pattern piece for 1/4 circle. If you cut your 1/4 circle with one long end on the fold, each piece (front and back) will be a 1/2 circle, making your dress a full-circle skirt. If that is all really confusing, I’m sorry. Read THIS great post and you’ll get a good overview.
My tracing paper was only wide enough for me to create a 1/8 circle pattern, so I cut two. If I had taped them together to make a 1/4 circle, I would have ended up with a full circle skirt. Instead, I folded one in half, taped them together (to make a 3/16) and used that. When cut on the fold, the 3/16 creates a 3/8 pattern piece, and two of those sewn together (front and back) make a 3/4 circle skirt. Did I lose you? Hope not. Believe it or not, fractions are one of my weakest points, so if I can do it, you can do it.
To help me (and you) understand creating a pattern for a circle skirt a little better, I made the above diagram. If it confuses you, just ignore it. However, if you understand it, you may find it becomes a welcome resource. You can make your pattern to any portion of the circle (1/4, 1/8, etc.) and use it to create the fullness of skirt you desire. Cutting on the fold refers to having one straight edge of the pattern lined up on the fold of the fabric (except in the case of the 1/2 circle, when it would be both straight edges). Cutting on the 1/4 fold refers to folding the fabric in half width wise, and again length wise, so both straight edges of the pattern are along folded edges (this is the method Miriam uses to show the Peplum Variation today!)
Whew. Okay. Did you get all of that? Now that your pattern variation is ready, use it to cut out your pattern pieces.
The beginning construction is just like your basic tee. Sew the shoulder seams and sleeve caps first.
I added the neckband next, then finished the side seams.
At this point, sew the waist band pieces along the short ends with right sides together. Line the side seams up to the side seams on the dress, with right sides together, and stitch in place.
Once the waist band is on, the last step is to add the skirt! First, sew down the side seams of the skirt (unless you were able to cut a full circle in one piece.
Match up the side seams on the waistband and the skirt, with right sides together, and pin at the center front and center back. Sew in place.
Pretty cool, right? From a basic tee shirt to a fitted bodice with a waistband and circle skirt just like that!
To create a v neck I use this simple method. Find the center front of the neckband and fold with right sides together. Sew a diagonal line from the upper end of the neckband just to the seamline of the neckband, making sure not to cross over onto the front bodice. Unfold and press your new v neck!
Finish the sleeve and skirt hems using one of these finishing techniques, and rock your new tee shirt dress variation!
Pattern: 3/4 sleeve, fitted bodice with a waistband, circle skirt variation on the basic tee shirt- self drafted
Fabric: The Fabric Fairy
With just the few steps we learned today, you can start turning your basic tee shirt into an endless array of dresses! And you know what you’ll need to make all those new dresses? Fabric! Well, we’ve got you covered. Whether you are looking for nautical stripes, black and white polka dots, or ice cream cones there is something you will love at The Fabric Fairy. Some of my favorite materials have come from this little shop, and right now I’m especially interested in the new ruffle elastic trims!
Leave a comment on this post before Friday, January 18th, for the chance to win a $50.00 credit to The Fabric Fairy!
Don’t miss Mim’s Peplum Variation post today. That adorable striped knit is from The Fabric Fairy, too!
96 Comments
Such a great versitile pattern! Maybe I should sew more for me than for my girl….
I love the circle dress!
I love the Fabric Fairy! They’ve got such a great selection! Hope I win!
I love both dresses you made! I need to make one, or the other, or both!
Thanks so much for the great tutorial!
Love, love this tutorial. Thanks! I am going to try a flared, swing variation this weekend.
What a great tutorial for the t-shirt circle dress! Thanks for hosting the Fabric Fairy giveaway! Such fun prints and choices!
wow, beautiful! I’m ultra impressed. You’ve outdone yourself!
love the tee shirt dress variations! perfect for my lifestyle!
I am loving this series! Working with knits is something I had no idea about, so I’m excited about how much I’m learning here. Hopefully I will make time to try some of these projects soon. The v-neck dress looks great on you!
Well, I have just died and gone to heaven after discovering the Fabric Fairy. The swimsuit fabric!! OMG.
Loving this series! I have just the shirt to pattern off of and I can’t wait. Now to find the perfect fabric to make a garment with
Great tutorial! Love the dress; I definitely need to make one or two of these this year. One question though – will you (or Mim) be doing a post about guessing yardage requirements for these projects? I’m guessing for the dress you made it was around 2 or 3 yards?
Thanks for the chance to enter the giveaway, FabricFairy looks like a great store. It’s so hard to find good sources of quality knit fabrics.
Looking forward to practising these new techniques!
These patterns are fantastic! I would love to have a go at them! Shame my sewing machine is 200miles away! Grrrr, not for long
the fabric fairy has gorgeous stuff too – I’m really getting into your stitch yourself stuff at the moment! Thank so much 
I love these! I have been wanting to draft a tee shirt dress but my drafting skills are zero to none! Thanks for teaching me! You guys are awesome, I’ve already bookmarked everything in the series and plan to come back for reference. A knit bible, perhaps?
I love working with knits, and this post makes me want to make something for myself for a change! Thanks for sharing your method, I always end up draping to get my pattern changes.
Wow, what an interesting and useful post. The circle dress is so pretty!
WOW! You guys make it look so easy! I love Mim’s hint about using knit tape to stabalize…I had never heard of it before. I’m learning so much. Thank you both for this series!
I love your shirt dress with a circle skirt. I may have to give that a try! Thanks for the excellent information.
I am SO in love with this series. I can tell it has taken a lot of time and effort to put it together. Thank you do much for doing it. I am learning a ton of new things!
What a great tutorial! I love the version with the circle skirt. i may have to try it. Thanks for the giveaway.
Love this! I’m just getting to learning to work with knits, and this looks like a great jumping-off point! Thank you.
Awesome dresses! I can easily draft patterns for my kids, but I find doing it for myself so much more difficult.
Awesome and super clear tutorial! Can’t wait to make a few of these beauties for the spring!
You make it look so easy! The V-neck dress is great.
I meant for my comment on the t-shirt post to be for this one. This is my favorite…I know I will use this tutorial for years to come. Thanks for all of this information it’s fabulous and easy to follow!
Thanks so much for these tutorials. The clothes look great!
This is awesome! I’m heading down to try my own, thanks!
This is such a fabulous tutorial! THANK YOU! And something that keeps me from sewing with knits is not being able to find good looking knits in my local stores, so thank you for the new resource – would love to win the Fabric Fairy giveaway!
This is so cool! I love all of these tutorials but especially this one.
love the basic tee circle dress, it’s awesome!
Over the past few months I have dove into the amazing world of sewing with knits! I love this series, there is so much great information!
These tutorials are great! Thank you so much for writing them, and thanks for the giveaway!
You have definitely inspired me to make a T-shirt dress using my own measurements. Really enjoying your posts and ideas for knit clothing and places to buy knits.
I love the second dress! so flattering. Thanks for sharing how to do it.
I love the dress with the circle skirt, I will have to get some knit regardless if I win or not so I can make that cute dress!
Guess I’d better break out the measuring tape.
Love thecicrle skirt dress!
Amazing (as always)! I love that my proximity affords me a behind-the-scenes peek at how much hard work goes into all of this. What an awesome series! That circle skirt dress rocks. Love the neckline and the pattern. Maybe if I win a little fabric credit I will delve into this {scary for me} world of knits!
How cute are you in your little circle dress! What a great dress!
Love the circle dress! Will try it soon.
These are awesome-the possibilities truly are endless. Thanks for setting this whole set of stretch tutes, it’s great to be able to take stretch sewing further without really stretching my brain too much. Cheers.
Wow, both dresses are beautiful, thankyou for posting! By the way, I tried your pleated skirt pattern today and it worked perfectly! I love it
I love the tutorial on the circle skirt tee. It looks great.
I love the circle skirt version!
Thanks for the chance! I love love this series by the way. So many great ideas, I’m like getting overwhelmed at all of the things I now want to make!
I love all the variations of your patter. I would like to run and get my sewing machine set up and create the dress with the waistband, how sweet!
Hugs,
Gigi
These tutorials are great! I have ordered fabric from the fabric fairy before, and she has great quality!
These are great!! I can’t wait to make a few of these
You are clever, clever, clever! Thanks for sharing such detailed, clear tutorials!
What great dresses! I can’t wait to try making them. The Fabric Fairy giveaway is awesome too!
Love the dresses. Great tutorials.
I really like the dress with the circle skirt. I may try that for my teenager. The Fabric Fairy is new to me, but I see several fabrics I like.
Congratulations Tamryn!! You’ve won the $50 credit to The Fabric Fairy!! I’ll send your email address along to Megan at The Fabric Fairy and she will be in touch with your credit!! Thanks for entering and reading!
xo Miranda
Cute! I love knit projects, thanks for the tutorials.
Great dresses. My goal this year is to learn to sew with knits.
Cutest dresses! You are amazing! I’ve never sewn with knits before but these tutorials are awesome and inspire me to try in the near future! Thanks so much!
So very cute! I’m really going to have to try one of these out.
I love the dress you made, so cute and feminine. I want to make more with knits this year too!
OMG! you were reading my mind! I was thinking of doing exaclty this, using the Renfrew pattern, but now it will be so much easier! Thanks a lot for these tutorials, they are all very useful!
What a perfect giveaway! I would love to win some fabric! (or $ to a fabric website
Your dresses are so cute! Thanks for this.. you make it seem so easy to modify patterns. Also, I’ve never heard of fabric fairy before so thanks for pointing out their website!
seriously so impressed by everything you and mim are making for this series!! and thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for the great tutorial. HAVE to try these great patterns! Thanks!
I’ve totally enjoyed this series so far! Thanks for sharing your knit knowledge. Now to just put some of this to practice…:-)
Keep it up girl-this series is AWESOME! I can’t wait to try out some of this for myself!
Thanks so much for the very thorough tutorial on all the variations. I just discovered the Fabric Fairy, they are awesome!
Brilliant tutorials, I’m definitely going to try out the circle skirt version!
Wonderful tutorial! Thanks for the giveaway!
This is a great series. I’m inspired to try the circle skirt dress with a short sleeve bodice.
I just happened on your blog and I will be back to make some dresses! What a great, thorough tutorial and it looks totally doable.
Love it!! Thanks for all the hints and tricks this eek for sewing with knits!!
One day when I try clothing I am going to check this tutorial out again. It is great thanks.
Love this giveaway
I am really enjoying sewing with knits right now and I love these posts!
I really want to give the circle skirt dress a try! It’d be such fun to have new fabric to try it with!
I just found your site. Love it! Great tutorials that get me wanting some tshirt fabric!
This is a great tutorial, Thanks!
These tutorials are so amazing! It makes me want to try! Sewing with knit makes me frightened but after your series I might be able to try!
Love that circle skirt dress! Makes me want to get up the nerve to work with knits. Thanks for the chance!
I love that dress! I really should try making one!
Love these cute, comfy dresses!
Thank you for this awesome tutorial! I can’t wait to try this for myself!
sooo AWESOME!! just found you from MellySews and i love the idea of drafting myself. YEAH!!! thanks bunches.
Love these tutorials! Love the dress! Love the series! Love fabric!
I really love the fabric for your second dress. Thanks for sharing the tutorial.
Looks fabolous!
And hope I win 
)
I’m anticipating a LOT of knit-sewing in my future! I experimented my way through last summer and plan on doing it a little “better” this time around since I don’t have as much time to sew (trial and error takes time!!) – thanks for the series and I HOPE I can win some $$ towards Knits to sew with!!
I love sewing with knits! They are such fun (usually) even without a serger–I use a janome 4120 qdc and it usually does a great job!
I’ve never been a huge fan of tee shirt dresses, like the first one, but I do love the second one! It’s the defined waist that does it for me…
I don’t know if it’s too late to comment but I did want to say that this serious is immensely helpful. I’m embarking on my first real knit project and felt in over my head. Thanks!
Love the tutorials! I’m just learning to sew with knits and love these ideas.
This post is great! I’m pinning it for later.
I’ll definitely be referring back to this one!
Love your circle skirt dress! Fantastic tutorial and graphics. Did you add anything to the waistband to prevent stretching of the shirt? (does that even make sense?)
Thanks! Glad you like it! I didn’t reinforce the waistband at all, actually. It’s a pretty stable knit (thick and not super stretchy) so I felt like it would be okay, and so far so good!