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Sewing
How to Sew a Shirt
How To Sew a Shirt, And Is It An Adventure For Everyone?
Discovering how to sew a shirt seems complicated at first. Yet, once accomplished, it’s highly gratifying.
Think about it!
Having sewn a shirt once, no one will ever tell you that this industry is not your pair of shoes.
So get your sewing supplies in hand, and let’s rock the fashion business starting from the top!
Image source: Andrea Piacquadio z Pexels
How to sew a simple shirt
So we want to uncover the secret of how to sew a shirt from scratch.
Let’s kick off this delightful “shirt enterprise” from the beginning.
You won’t learn to sew in a blink of an eye. Gaining experience in sewing requires time and practice.
Moreover, practice can be gained with projects that you can bring to the end. Start with those that are too hard to kick-off, and you’re doomed to failure (procrastination, an old friend; by Very Well Mind).
But before you begin with shirts, be sure to prepare your sewing place the best you can.
Our sewing room ideas may inspire you. It’s essential to have the right sewing tools around and keep a balanced feng shui in your workplace.
Image source: Ron Lach z Pexels
“How to start sewing your own clothes?” asks Jusuf on her YouTube channel; and we can’t wait to find out what she has to say:
You may also want to see what are the best sewing tips and tricks. It will help you develop your sewing skills faster and be prepared for any eventuality.
Image source: Michael Burrows z Pexels
However, getting back to shirts.
According to Life Sew Savory, the simplest shirt comprises one piece in the front and one in the back. But, hey! Don’t forget the cuffs!
In the video “How to sew a classic shirt,” a tranquilizing voice guides us through shirt-making.
We hope that after watching this video, the idea of sewing a shirt takes a more appealing form to you. If it’s not for the content, then at least because of the meditative atmosphere.
Image source: EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA z Pexels
Sewing a shirt―hands-on experience
Below, we’ve prepared a list of the simple steps to make your first DIY shirt.
But first, let’s crack the basics by opening the fashion encyclopedia on two crucial pages.
What are the main:
It’s worth knowing your craft in detail in advance.
We checked in with Ohoh Deco, and this is what we’ve found about how to sew shirts at home.
For starters, if you’re kicking off your shirt fashion project now, you’ll need to prepare a couple of tools.
Gather materials necessary for sewing a shirt:
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- sewing scissors,
- sewing pins,
- lightweight sewing fabric (about a yard),
- matching bias tape,
- matching thread (read about sewing threads types and tips),
- tailor chalk,
- a sewing machine,
- a shirt (an old one);
Image source: Kai Pilger z Pexels
Now, let’s get to grips with the idea of sewing a shirt in practice.
Oh Oh Deco was an online inspiration that helped us elaborate the table you see below.
Follow the steps to sew a simple shirt prepared by people who already succeeded in the field:
| Phase | Description |
|
Preparation |
Get yourself a sewing kit with the tools that we mentioned above. To choose the most convenient fabric, if you’re a beginner, the best option will be to use the simplest plain fabric. They say that “to err is human,” yet, you want your shirt to be perfect, don’t you? So if you love patterns, pick a simple bias. It’s for your own good. |
|
Part 1: making the neckline―back |
Now follow these steps (in case you need pictures, refer to Oh Oh Deco):
|
|
Part 2: making the neckline―front |
|
|
Part 3: making the neckline―front |
|
For a few extra hacks on necklines, grab these enriching paragraphs by Seam Work. According to them, v-necks are one of the most flattering types of necklines for women. In general, they are not as favorable for men. Yet, everyone is free to make their own fashion choices.
Sally McGraw on Seam Work claims that v-necks make a face look slimmer and elongate the body.
If you discover how to sew a shirt by hand and want a v-neck, the Seam Work blog will also help.
The article consists of two creative sections:
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- How to sew a v-neckband―a clean, finished v-neck is simple to sew once you know this secret.
- Draft your own v-neck―create your own band for a v-neck to transform scoop necks, crewnecks, and more.
Image source: RODNAE Productions z Pexels
But there’s another thing that doesn’t require much work and brings a lot of joy. You can empower your fashion projects with customized woven labels from the Super Label Store.
These smart, affordable gadgets will take the products of your creativity a level up.
It doesn’t take much time nor money to configure and order them on the page. Plus, the effect is spectacular.
The brand aims at satisfying various clients. It serves home DIY’ers and individual fashion artisans as well as huge international fashion brands.
Everyone, from minor to big, can order an unrestricted number of labels. It’s an innovative approach, isn’t it? We remember the time when these things were limited only to specialized companies.
Now, DIYers are taking over the fashion market, so the market has to respond accordingly. Read “Why do we need a fashion revolution” (Fashion Revolution).
To get familiar with options for an upgrade of your garments, check out the following products:
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- woven labels (read about different types of woven labels),
- care labels,
- hang tags;
Learn more about the brand on the website and keep track of the blog.
We were talking about conjuring up your first unique (yet, simple to make) shirt. So let’s get back to business.
The situation is as follows: we’ve got all the sewings supplies at hand and sewing hacks in mind.
At that point, sewing clothes shouldn’t be problematic, and learning how to sew shirts at home should be just a matter of time.
We paused at “Part 3: making the neckline―front.” What should we do after we’ve cut the neckline?
Here is what Oh Oh Deco suggests:
| Phase | Description |
|
Part 4: Sewing the sleeves―preparation |
|
|
Part 5: Sewing the sleeves―the side and the sleeves |
|
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Part 6: Finishing |
(read on Sew Bake Decorate how to make an impressive hem on your shirt) |
Keep in mind that you can always adjust a shirt if it is too big. Yet, you won’t be able to work on an example that is too small.
We don’t have to add that failing at being accurate with sizes is not the worst that can happen. Just try to miscalculate in the “right” direction.
Image source: Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
How to cut and sew men’s shirt
What comes to your mind first when you think about sewing a men’s shirt? Buttons?
Our experience shows that buttons of men’s shirts are the most popular topic among sewers-to-be. After all, sewing a button requires a set of skills; and gaining a skill is a good beginning.
Some men remember the beginning of their lifelong sewing experience. It was at the moment they unexpectedly lost the button of their favorite shirt. They had to sew it back on, and this is where everything started.
Learning how to sew buttons is often the first step to the sewing passion, not only for men.
Then, sometime later, some of these enthusiasts will be brave enough to come up with the question: “How to sew a long sleeve shirt from scratch?”. And then, we appear and also answer this more sophisticated issue. Read on Blog.Treasurie how to sew a button to the man’s shirt like a pro.
You may also want to learn how to sew on a patch to enhance your sewing skills in various directions.
Image source: Terje Sollie z Pexels
In the YouTube video below, Melly Sews puts men’s shirt-making in simple words.
Check this video for a delightful DIY guide on how to sew a men’s shirt:
Does the idea energize you? Do you feel like kicking off your shirt project?
Then grab the pattern and read a detailed tutorial on Melissa’s page Melly Sews.
Thread Theory describes the making of a man’s shirt up in several easy steps. On the blog, you’ll also find meticulous descriptions of each stage:
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- sew the shoulders,
- sew the neckline,
- sew the sleeves,
- sew the side seams,
- sew the hems,
and you’re ready to go! Or rather, your man is.
Image source: David Bartus z Pexels
Otherwise, if you’re not into sewing a shirt for a man from scratch, you can always tailor men’s clothes. Read about some special tricks on Bespoke Post.
It’s incredible how many clothes are currently hibernating in our wardrobes. Instead, they can quickly get a new life thanks to skillful tailoring.
Image source: Threads Magazine
And here’s an extra piece of advice from Threads Magazine. Experts on choosing fabric for the project:
“Men’s shirts look best, are easiest to make, and last longest when made from cotton fabric. […] be sure to read the description to make sure the fabric is an appropriate weight for a shirt. Too heavy and you’re in the pants territory; too light and you risk transparency”.
What else can you make men’s shirts of? Try quilting cotton for its advantages:
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- affordable,
- easy-to-find, and
- fun (it’s designed according to themes)
If your man loves crosswords, you know what to do.
Image source: Threads Magazine
Sewing T-shirts
The shirts were complex, but a quick t-shirt sew sounds like pure fun, doesn’t it? So, let’s crack the issue and discover it together.
No one will bring us closer to sewing T-shirts than a talented Wendy.
She put her time and effort to lead us to mastery with her sewing knowledge:
How to sew a t-shirt? Here’s the answer:
Sewing t-shirts at home isn’t hard if you have the right, compelling (online) teacher.
Besides Wendy, we came across Nancy. Her website’s layout may not be impressive, but her skills are, and that’s enough. Take a look at Nancy Zieman’s sewing efforts, and you’ll learn how to sew t-shirt sleeves in no time.
Image source: Bianca Castillo on Unsplash
You may also want to review these blogs about the themes related to sewing t-shirts:
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- “How to Make a T-Shirt Quilt Baby Blanket” (by Polka Dot Chair),
- “How to Design a T-shirt”: (by Blog.Bonfire),
- “DIY Custom T-shirt” with an iron-on label (by Richland Library),
- “How I Built An Online T-Shirt Business In 24 Hours: (by A Better Lemon Adestant);
As your appetite grows, you may come up with the idea of turning your t-shirt into a bag. It’s tempting.
Also, if you’re into DIY and sustainable fashion, be sure to get familiar with the following blogs:
Image source: Antonio Figueredo on Unsplash
Upcycling is the future. It has recently started taking over the fashion industry and has no intention to stop. Read “Why the Upcycling Fashion Industry Will Play an Essential Role in the Future of Fashion” on MiniWiz to tackle the subject from the core.
Any upcycling ideas at hand? For example, to create a new, entertaining DIY tote bag, all you need is:
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- T-shirt,
- scissors,
- sewing machine or needle and thread;
On 100 Directions, you’ll find a full-blown guide describing how to make it happen!
Image source: EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA z Pexels
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