*The Ultimate Comfortable Won’t Wear Anything Else Dress of Summer

Materials needed:

One inexpensive t-shirt
1/2 to 3/4 yard of coordinating fabric (54″ width) The length of fabric determines the length of dress, buy according to how long you’d like finished dress to be.
Matching thread
Optional: rickrack, ribbon, or trim

Tools:
Scissors and/or rotary cutter and mat
Pins
Sewing machine
Optional: serger

Note: I bought t-shirts, fabric and notions at Wal-mart. If I don’t count all the random items that found their way into my cart, each dress cost less than $10.00.

My girl likes her clothes loose and comfy; I used a size 12-14 tee. However, the directions are the same for any size.

The first step is to determine where the waist line will fall.
Depending upon your level of OCD perfectionism, you can either eyeball it or have your child try on the tee and mark it with a safety pin.
To allow for a seam allowance, cut off the bottom of the tee about 5/8 inch below your mark. (Again, eyeballing is fine.)
I like a baby-doll look so I go with an empire waist, which for us meant cutting about 3 inches below the underarm seam.
A rotary cutter and mat comes in very handy here, but scissors will work too.

The bottom half can be discarded or turned into t-shirt yarn for another project.
Set the top half aside for now and turn your attention to the fabric.
Fold fabric with printed side together, matching selvage edges.
Pin and sew selvage edge together.

Sidenote: My highschool home-ec teacher told me that sewing over your pins could result in the loss of an eye. Proceed with caution.
Drag out your iron and press open seam. You now have a “tube”. This tube will become the bottom half of your dress. But you can’t just sew it to the shirt as is. It is too wide and must be made to fit.
To do so, we need to sew a gathering stitch.
Set your machine to the longest possible stitch. Sew around the top edge, inside the seam allowance (about 3/8″). Do not backstitch. When finished, cut your threads long.

(I actually moved my fabric over from 4/8″ to 3/8″ after taking the picture.)
Grasp the bobbin (inside) thread and gently pull, gathering fabric until skirt is the same width as tee shirt. For a large size dress there will be less gathers than for a small dress.

Once correct size is reached adjust gathers so that they are somewhat evenly spaced.
Make sure tee shirt is right side out. Slip inside skirt, right side of shirt to right side of fabric. Match the skirt seam to one of the tees side seams. Pin.

Adjust your stitch length back to normal. Sew with 5/8″ seam allowance.

If you have access to a serger, use it now. The dress will be more durable and “comfy” with this seam serged.
If you don’t have access to a serger, don’t worry. I made the first one without one and my little princess didn’t notice.
Now, go back to the old ironing board and press the joining seam toward the skirt.
Determine what length you’d like the dress to be, iron hem in place and sew.

Congratulations, the basic dress is now complete.
To add a bit more flair top stitch skirt close to where it meets the tee.

And/or add rickrack or ribbon at waist or hem.

If you make any of these dresses and feel like sharing, I’d love to see pictures.

Have fun!