Reposting - Men's Shirt to Dress Tutorial

Happy Saturday!  I'm reposting this tutorial for turning a men's shirt into a dress!  I made this for a Project Run & Play sewalong and the tutorial for Alida's Calling All Kids series!!!

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The look I created was part of my sew along for the Project Run and Play men's shirt refashion - there's nothing I like better than seeing little girls in their daddy's shirts made into a girly outfit!  

I tossed around several ideas for this challenge and I thought a simple a-line would look cute but I did that already with the Valentine dress.

I also thought using the front placket as the back of a dress would be cute but I've seen that done a lot and I wanted to try something different!

I finally decided on this style while looking at pictures online.  I LOVE collars and I thought it would be fun to incorporate daddy's collar into the dress!  I'm SO GLAD I did!

Here's the tutorial on how you can create the same look!

Cut the sleeves and collar off the shirt

Fold up the bottom of the right side of the shirt so you have enough room to place the bodice.  Cut and repeat again on the same side for your bodice lining.

I created my own bodice pattern that you can have for free.  This should fit around 18-24 months but it's only been tested on my little girl! haha!  Feel free to modify it to your own measurements!

I didn't have quite enough so the bodice lining has a little bit of a seam on the bottom edge.

On the other side of the shirt front, cut out your bodice back on the fold.

Now, to get your skirt pieces, cut out the back of the men's shirt.  I didn't create a pattern piece for this since I wanted to use as much fabric as I could.  I utilized the entire back of the shirt by folding the bottom of the shirt up to the top of the shirt and cutting as close to the edge as I could.  Then I cut the fold so I had two identical pieces.

I cut off the button placket down the front of the shirt to use as the halter ties!
Here's a picture of all the pattern pieces:
Halter ties (from front placket)
2 skirt pieces (from back of shirt)
2 bodice front pieces (from right side of shirt)
1 bodice back piece (from left side of shirt)
2 collars (from the collar!)

Baste your collar onto the front bodice piece.  Trim the extra length.

Place your halter ties on top of the collar on the shoulder

Place your front bodice lining pieice on top, sandwiching the halter ties and collar.
Stitch a straight stitch from the under arm seam, across the shoulders and neck, to the other underarm.  Trim the seam.

Turn right side out and press well!

Gather one skirt piece and pin to the front bodice right sides together.  Finish the seam with a serger for a professional look.  Press the seam up to the bodice and topstitch close to the edge.

Fold the back bodice piece in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.

Gather the other skirt piece and sew right sides together just like you did the front bodice.  Finish seam and topstitch close to the edge

 

Now you have a front and a back (the front bodice is laying right side down and back is laying right side up.)

Create a casing for elastic on the back with a straight stitch

Take a safety pin and thread a 9" piece of elastic (for 18-24m) through the casing.  Baste at one end.

Pull the elastic through to the other end and baste in place.  Remove the safety pin.

Place the front and back right sides together and sew all the way from the bottom of the dress to the underarm.  Finish the seams with a serger and press open.

 

Fold and press the bottom hem and stitch.

You are done!  

Bring dress right side out and press!

Front:

Back:

Add buttons or other cute embellishments!

If you create a dress using this tutorial I would love to see a picture!  Send me an e-mail at raeannag@gmail.com!

Here's my sweetie pie in her daddy's shirt!





And the cute little birdie hair clip can be found in a tutorial I guest posted at Welcome to the Mouse House! There's a free printable template to make your own!