Sewing clothes is one thing. Sewing clothes that actually get worn is another. When you’re choosing a pattern, it’s easy to get distracted by the wide variety of options. When I’m sewing for myself I like to think about the types of clothing I actually wear. Because it doesn’t matter how beautiful that dress is, or how unique the styling lines of those pants are, if it’s not something that will integrate into my wardrobe it’s probably not going to get worn.
With all that in mind, one article of clothing that I can make for myself that will almost always get worn is a t-shirt. I wear some form of a t-shirt just about every day. You can make a t-shirt as dressy or as casual as you like depending on the material you make it from and how you style it. Make one from a print for a wardrobe basic. Or make things interesting by using a fun print. And t-shirts are pretty easy to sew, especially once you know the basics of how they’re put together.
Melissa from Melly Sews has a tutorial that will step you through the whole process of sewing your own t-shirt. She’s got several free patterns you can use to start with. Or if you own a t-shirt that you love, you can easily recreate a pattern from it. She’s also got help for choosing the right fabric, which is important for getting the fit you want. From there, she takes you through the construction of a t-shirt.
Once you learn the basics of sewing a t-shirt, you’ll be able to create them in a range of colors and styles. And then you can start playing with the pattern, lengthening and widening the bottom to make an A-line dress. Or maybe a t-shirt bodice with a circle skirt or gathered skirt attached.
Go to Melly Sews to learn all about sewing your own t-shirts.
[photo credit: Melly Sews]
