T-shirt Dress Tutorial
It’s SERVE Noblesville week, a week of service where several churches, businesses and members of the Noblesville community come together in the name of Jesus to do various service projects in the community. Yesterday I chose to participate with some other women to Craft With a Cause.
From knitting & crocheting squares to be sewn into bedding for orphans in Uganda, fleece tie blankets for veterans, beaded cross necklaces for VBS camps, to t-shirt dresses for girls in Panama, we were busy having too much fun.
I brought my sewing machine to whip up a couple of these fun t-shirt dresses, and we even had our own former home ec teacher, Carole Lightfoot, guiding us. I think of myself as a very basic sewer, so it was like a free private sewing lesson with a pro {and she is super sweet, I might add!} I asked Carole if she wouldn’t mind me posting a tutorial of how to make these super easy and cute dresses for you all…{she obviously said she didn’t mind!}
What you will need:
girls t-shirt or tank top
a 6″ wide piece of coordinating fabric 4x the length of the bottom of the t-shirt {the 6″ width may vary depending on how big the t-shirt is and how long you would like the skirt}.
Let’s get started:
1. Start by hemming one of the long sides of the fabric by folding the fabric about 1/4″ in and pressing with an iron. Fold it one more time 3/8″ and just crease with your finger as you sew the hem. This hemmed side of the fabric will be the b
ottom of the skirt.
2. Stitch the hem by stitching 1/8″ from the second folded edge, sewing through both folds.
3. Now fold your piece of fabric in half lengthwise, right sides facing, so that the shorter ends of the fabric are now lined up. Sew a seam with 1/4″ seam allowance.
4. Go back and zig-zag stitch the edge {or serge if you have that capability}. You should now have a big circle of fabric.
5. Open your circle of fabric. You will now start the basting {gathering} stitches along the unhemmed length of the fabric. Starting at the seam, begin stitching 1/4″ from the edge at the highest stitch length on your machine {my Singer machine’s highest stitch length is
4}. Only backstitch at the start, but not at the end. Leave about 2 inches of string at the end to be able to pull and gather your skirt.
6. Repeat step 5 another 1/4″ from your last gathering stitch {1/2″ from the edge}.
7. You should now have 2 strings in which to pull and gather your fabric.
8. Don’t pull too tight, so you don’t break your strings. Pull the strings, then pull the fabric along. {Carole is using her left hand to pull the gathered fabric to the left. Repeat until you skirt is the correct width}.
9. You will gather until the top of the skirt is the same width as the base of the t-shirt or tank.
10. To keep your width from adjusting, place a pin where the strings are that you have been pulling. Then wrap your strings in a figure 8 around the pin to keep the strings from pulling.
11. Pull your gathered fabric along the strings to make it as even as possible all the way around the skirt.
12. Keeping the skirt inside out, slip the t-shirt inside the skirt so the gathered edge of the skirt and the bottom edges of the t-shirt are lined up. It will basically look like the skirt is flipped up. Straight pin where the seam is first.
13. Pull the t-shirt and skirt to find the half way mark and pin again.
14. Pin again in between your two existing pins on both sides. You should have a total of 4 pins.
15. Keeping the t-shirt edge lined up with the gathered edge of the skirt, sew a basic stitch along the 2nd existing basting(gathering) stitch.
16. Then zig-zag stitch {or serge} the edge.
17. The zig-zag stitch.
18. Fold the skirt down so it is right side out.19. Top stitch all away around the t-shirt 1/4″ from the seam, sewing through the zig-zag seam on the other side.20. The top stitch gives it a finished look and will also reinforce the skirt to the t-shirt.
Voila!
My first and second t-shirt dress ready to go to two lovely girls in Panama!
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! These are super quick and fun to whip up!
You could easily add a 2nd or 3rd layer to the skirt {that’s what I want to do when I make one for bear bear}, but these are definitely cute with just one layer, too!
I’d love to see your creations, so send me a link to yours in the comments section, and I will be sure to check yours out!!
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