Create a T-shirt Dress in Less Than an Hour!

My yellow t-shirt was boring but after repurposing a 100% cotton t-shirt and t-shirt sheet, I was able to convert it to a cool & comfty maxi length dress.

Step 1: Materials Required

100% cotton t-shirt (for bodice top)

100% t-shirt sheet (for skirt bottom) - either flat or fitted of any size

Sewing machine, Straight pins, Measuring tape

Step 2: Determine Length of the Top

To create the bodice top, measure from shoulder to waist.  (Because I wanted a higher/empire waistline I measured to the lower edge of my bra line in both the front and back.)

Add 1.5" for the seam allowence and mark where the bottom of the bodice cut line will be.

Step 3: Split the Sheet

Remove elastic from fitted sheet and then fold it in half, cutting across to create 2 separate lengths.  One length will be used for the front skirt panel and the other for the back skirt panel.

Next, fold each fabric panel widthwise and accomodate the center of the print.

Step 4: Measure for Skirt Panels

Fold the t-shirt bodice in half and using the cut line as your guide, lay it on the top of the folded fabric.

Next, draw another line from the bottom of the bodice top down the length of the fabric.  (If a shorter skirt is desired, you can always trim away the excess.)

Repeat to create the other skirt panel.

Pin right sides together and sew the side seams together, creating the skirt portion of the dress.

Step 5: Stitch Down Skirt Waistline

Fold down the top of the skirt by approximately 1" and stitch. 

Step 6: Attach Bodice Top to Skirt Bottom

With right sides together, and using the cut line (Step 2) of the t-shirt as your guide, place the bottom of the bodice and the top of the skirt together, with approximate 1/2" of the bodice bottom exposed (to be used as the 1/2" seam guide). 

Then stitch the top of the waistline to the bottom of the bodice 1/2" from cut line.

With stitching on both the top and bottom of the waistline, a channel has been created for a drawstring.

Using scrap from Step 3, cut a 1" wide strip that is approximately twice your girth, and tug gently to create the drawstring.

On the outside of the dress, locate the center back of the waistline and poke 2 holes so that you can feed the drawstring through the waistline.

Step 7: Ta-Da...

Try on the dress and cinch up the excess with the drawstring.  Keep it long and comfy, or short and sweet. 

The beauty of this project is that the project can be completed in less than an hour and no hemming is necessary!