Basic T- Shirt Dress

Pattern Alteration Tips:

• Fit pattern to be 4" bigger that you are in bust and tummy. T-shirt dresses are more flattering if ample ease is added.
• On a full-busted woman, a straight T-shirt pulls up at center front and stands away from the body. To build curves into this straight form, cut the pattern horizontally in the bust and insert a 1/2" piece of tissue. Build out a 1/4" curve to the side in the same area.
• The right neck and armhole shapes are very important in order for the T-shirt dress to be flattering. If fitting these areas is difficult for you, buy a flattering T-shirt dress off-the-rack and copy the pattern to make several more dresses of various colors.

Shoulder Seam Tips:

• When stitching the shoulder seam, use a regular seam allowance and backstitch. Press seam toward front of the garment, then topstitch.
• Overlock around neck and armhole curves. Use a stretch stitch if you don't have an overlock machine.

More Tips:

• Use a stay stitch, 1/2" away from the edge, on neck and armholes of the front and back of the dress. Be sure the armholes lie close to the body and do not gap.
• Run an ease line in the bust area.
• Press each stitching and press back seams at neck and armholes. Press 5/8" seam allowance to the wrong side of the fabric on neckline and armholes.
• Topstitch neck and armholes with a double needle from right side of fabric. If you don't have a double needle, run two parallel lines of topstitching around neck and armholes or overlock along the folded edge.
• When sewing side seams, use a narrow zigzag .5 mm and 2.5 mm stitch length in order to give the seams some stretching ability. Press seams open.
• Turn up a 5/8" hem and press. Wrap woolly nylon thread on the bobbin. Wrap thread by hand so the stretch in the thread is not removed in the bobbin threading process.
• Hem with a double needle. Use the double needle with regular thread on top. Topstitch in place.

Resources
No Time to Sew
by Sandra Betzina (ISBN: 0875967442)
Click here to order this title.
Power Sewing
95 Fifth Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94118
US
Phone: 415-386-0440
E-mail: karie@sandrabetzinaonline.com
Website: www.sandrabetzina.com
Also in this Episode

Sew Perfect : Episode SEW-205
•	Basic T- Shirt Dress