Do you want to know how to sew a T-shirt?
Then, you are in the right place, my friend. Today, we are going to learn how to sew a t-shirt from scratch with a Serger.
After you finish reading this easy step-by-step tutorial, you can choose whatever option you consider the easiest one and be a pro at t-shirt sewing ;).
A T-shirt is the most basic item you can have in your wardrobe.
It can be the base to the most simple or the most elaborated outfit, depending on the styling.
With this tutorial, you are going to learn the two easiest ways to assemble your t-shirt pattern pieces.
Believe me, it is easier than you think.
On one of them, my favorite might I add, we are going to sew the sleeves with the sides of the t-shirt open.
Which I grant is not a very common way to do it, but I believe is easier.
On the second one, we are going to make sure to fit in the sleeves with all the bodices assembled first.
This can be beneficial in a way that it will be better to control the ease of the sleeve if the pattern has any, of course.
I also want to clarify that you don’t have to worry if you don’t have a Serger Machine, because you can easily sew a t-shirt with your home sewing machine.
For more information about this, read our 20 knit fabrics sewing tutorials, there you will find the information that you need.
About the T-shirt pattern
For this tutorial, I used our Thimble-T (her) sewing pattern. You can buy it in our sewing pattern shop, or you can download it for free by signing the form at the end of this post.
It is a beautiful and simple sewing pattern that is very easy to sew and has a great fitting.
I believe that I have made about 10 or 15 t-shirts since we launched this pattern.
I simply love the comfort that a t-shirt can give you without taking the possibilities of infinite designs.
Generally, I wear this T-shirt to be in my home or to do errands.
But I have actually made more stylish designs that I can use to go out to casual parties and events.
You could just print a super cool handmade Stencil on it and give it a completely different look!
How long does it take to sew a T-shirt?
Sewing a simple plain t-shirt can take less than an hour.
Sewing a t-shirt with more intricate designs, like panels and cuts, can take a bit more time, even a day.
Is it easy to sew a T-shirt?
As you’ll see in this tutorial, a t-shirt is one of the easiest pieces of clothing one can sew.
As long as you know how to Serge or sew a good zigzag stitch, you are good to go.
And every time you sew a new T-shirt, you will become faster and faster.
- This might help you.
- Types of Knit Fabrics and Their Best Uses on Garments.
- T-shirt Sewing Pattern for Men
- Free T-shirt Sewing Patterns for Women.
- How To Sew Stretch Fabrics.
- Best Sewing Books for Beginners and Improvers.
How to Sew a T-shirt. (Option 1)
As always, before you cut your pattern, make sure you prewash your fabric the right way, so we can avoid shrinking or bleeding fabric.
Follow the pattern directions to cut your pieces, and then follow one of these two methods to sew a t-shirt.
1. Join the shoulders
Place the front and the back bodice pieces with the right side of the fabric facing together.
Match both of the shoulders and pin them.
Then, use your serger or sewing machine to sew them together.
2. Fit in the sleeves
Open the bodice through the shoulders and start pinning the sleeves to the armholes.
Make sure both the right sides of the fabric are facing together.
You should start pinning from the ends through the center.
In this step, it is recommended that you make a mark in the middle of the sleeve so you can match it with the shoulder seams.
Sew the sleeves in.
3. Sew the sides
After sewing the sleeves in, it is time to sew the sides.
Close the t-shirt with the wrong side of the fabric on the outside.
Then, match the sides from the end of the hem of the sleeves to the hem of the t-shirt.
Sew them together on both sides.
4. Sew the t-shirt collar
Fold the neckband in half and sew the ends together.
Then fold it again lengthwise and press with your iron.
Pin it to the neckline.
Usually, the neckband of a t-shirt will be shorter than the neckline.
So make sure you speed the measurements equally to the circumference of the neckline.
Press the seams, and if you like, make a top stitch around the neckline.
5. Hem the bodice
The final step is to Hem the bodice.
Now, you can do this in a couple of ways.
If you are using a Serger, you can make a blind stitch or Serge the edge and then fold to sew a zigzag stitch.
If you are using a regular sewing machine, you can find other alternatives to hemming knits in this post.
How to Sew a T-shirt (Option 2)
1. Close the sleeves
Fold the sleeves in half with the right sides of the fabric facing together.
Then, join them with your serger or sewing machine.
2. Join the shoulders and sides.
The next step is placing both layers of the bodice with the right sides facing together.
Then you are going to join the shoulders.
After that, do the same with the sides.
3. Sew the sleeves in
Now, you want to turn your sleeve pieces inside out so the right side of the fabric is outside.
And then you are going to pin the armholes together with the sleeves. Match first the seams and then the center of the sleeves.
Match the right sides of the fabric (bodice and sleeves).
4. Finish the collar neckband and sides
Follow steps 4 to 8 in option 1 to attach the neckband to the bodice. Then, make the hems of the bodice and sleeves.
And that’s it!
Now you have 2 easy ways to sew a t-shirt together.
Please let me know how you did in the comments below and if you would change anything about these methods.
this is great! I love that there are 2 methods of doing it. I especially liked the explanation of the neckline and the close up pic of the finished collar. I’m going to try this on some scrap material first since I’m a beginner, before trying it for real on my desired material
Hi Amy!
Thank you for commenting! Yes, it is always a good idea to try out new patterns and techniques in fabric scraps or make muslins to define the perfect fitting and changes before cutting the final fabric.
I hope you have amazing luck with your t-shirt!
This article is very helpful. It is so easy to sew this t-shirt by following your steps. I found this article very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Free tutorial, no pattern, really sucks.
Sorry to hear about that. Yes, this post is about a tutorial and we used one of our patterns for the tutorial but the pattern is not free.