Easy T-shirt Dress Tutorial

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My basic everyday uniform is a t-shirt and jeans. In the summer, though, I love to switch it up and wear t-shirt dresses, so I can pretend I’m not being as lazy with my wardrobe as I actually am. So when Melissa invited me to join in on her 30 Days of Sundresses series, I knew comfort would win out in the end!

Making a T-shirt dress (or a tank dress!) is super easy. I used two favorite patterns for these dresses: the Union St. Tee from Hey June Patterns (which I’ve already made into a dress) and the Greenwood Tank from Straight Stitch Designs. If you don’t have a pattern you love, trace your favorite store-bought tee instead.

1. Lay your pattern (or your t-shirt) on top of your fabric. Measure from your armpit down to where you want the dress to hit. Remember that you will need to add extra length for the hem.

2. Cut down to your desired length. Unless you want your dress to be form fitting, angle it outward slightly as you go down toward the hemline.

3. If you want to give your dress a looser fit than it would be as a shirt, grade it out a little on the sides. If you have more of a pear shape, make sure you grade it out to allow your hips to have enough room.

Then sew it together as you would according to the shirt pattern instructions! Easy peasy!

The comfort of a t-shirt, with the sassiness of a dress! Basically everything I love all wrapped up in one ridiculously easy-to-sew package. If you start to sew them, though, be warned: you may not be able to stop. And with a serger and a coverstitch (affiliate links), you can seriously just fly through these and whip up one after another without even thinking about it. I may or may not have another one already cut and ready to go…

Both of these fabrics came from JoAnn’s and I think are lycra blends, so they have kind of a silky feel to them. Jersey fabrics will lay a little differently, but they also can be easily worn with sneakers for trips to the zoo or the park. You can dress it up or down, depending on jewelry or shoes. But you still feel like you’re wearing your pajamas. Who doesn’t love wearing their pajamas??

There are so many amazing dresses over at Melly Sews for the 30 Days of Sundresses series – for women and for girls! There are lots of tutorials, free patterns, and great dresses to inspire you to sew your own. Plus, there are giveaways!