Straight pins A pencil A cardboard Pattern Cutting Board, or large piece of cardboard An acrylic ruler Tracing paper A measuring tape Scissors A t-shirt
Use your straight pins to start pinning the seam lines. Keep the pins upright and push them into the cardboard. Use more pins along curved seam lines to get a more accurate measurement.
After you’ve traced the entire shirt, go back through and round out the corners on the neckline and the armhole. When you’ve finished tracing your pattern, label it. Include the original garment type, the size, and which piece of the pattern it is. In this case, you measured the front of the shirt. Remember to mark the fold line of your pattern. Make a note to cut one on the fold.
Remember to mark the fold line and label this piece of the pattern as the back of the shirt. The neckline, armholes, and hemline on the back of the shirt may be a little different than the front. Try to pin accurately so you have good measurements.
Follow the same tracing process as you did with the front and back of the shirt. When you label the sleeve piece, make a note that you will need to cut two on the fold.
Use your ruler to make the neckband piece a rectangle. The neckband is folded in half, so make sure you double the width on your pattern piece. Subtract about an inch from the length of the pattern to account for the stretch of a neckband. Label the pattern piece accordingly, and make a note to cut one on the fold.
Measure the hems on the sleeves and shirt bottom and add that amount to the corresponding pattern.
Make sure each piece is properly labeled. You can store your pattern in a folder or a large envelope.
Think about what type of fabric you want to make your t-shirt from. Fabrics fall into two basic categories. There are knit fabrics and woven fabrics. Most shirts use a knit fabric, which is softer than woven fabric. [3] X Research source Knit fabrics stretch easier than woven fabrics, making them a little more difficult to work with. However, the added stretch of knit makes for a more breathable garment. [4] X Research source Press your fabric after you wash and dry it. You want the fabric to be as smooth as possible before you start working with it. [5] X Expert Source Korri Burton-UniverseProfessional Tailor Expert Interview. 12 January 2021. If you’re worried about your iron ruining your fabric, do a test press on a small scrap. [6] X Research source
Fold the fabric in half, making sure the selvages are together. Selvages are the woven edges of the fabric. [8] X Research source Your fabric will have a “right side” and a “wrong side. " The right side is the front of the fabric. It will be easier to tell the right side of the fabric if it has a pattern on it. When you fold your fabric, keep the right sides facing each other. [9] X Research source Keep the fabric as smooth as possible when you lay it out. [10] X Research source
If you prefer, you can weigh the fabric and then use chalk to draw an outline on your fabric.
Sew the shoulders together using a straight stitch on your sewing machine. When you’re finished sewing the pieces together, iron out the seams.
Fold the neckband piece in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together. Pin the edges and sew them together using a narrow zig-zag stitch. [13] X Research source
Pin the neckband at the shoulders first, and then the center and back. Once you’ve pinned the neckband at these four points, put one more pin between each point. [14] X Research source You may have to stretch the neckband to get it to fit in the neckline. This is okay. You want the neckband to be smaller than the neckline so that you have a comfortable fit. [15] X Research source
Sew one section at a time, stretching the fabric of the neckband as you go. As you finish a section, remove the pins and make sure the fabric of the shirt is not pleating beneath the neckband. [17] X Research source When you finish sewing the neckband, go over it with an iron to press the seams. [18] X Research source
Pin the sleeve along each side of the armhole. Use a straight stitch to sew the sleeve onto the shirt. Repeat this process with the other sleeve. Once you have attached both sleeves to your shirt, iron the seams.
Use a straight stitch to sew the sides of the shirt together. Start at the end of the sleeve and work your way down the side of the shirt. Fold between 1/2” to 1" of fabric under the bottom edge of the shirt. Iron this fabric down and use either a straight or zigzag stitch to sew your hem. Press the hem once more when you have finished sewing.
