What this tutorial will show you
In this article, we'll show you how to create a custom t-shirt pattern to fit you perfectly, specifically a women's fitted or semi-fitted shirt with classic cap sleeves made of a knit fabric like jersey. The cut will be tailored for a perfect fit.
We will not go into sewing for the time being. Sewing a t-shirt with your pattern will be the subject of a separate article.
What this tutorial is not
This pattern will not make a loose fitting unisex tee. Those have different shoulders and sleeves. However, this does not mean that you will only be able to make a closely fitted t-shirt; we will show you how to make a looser version of this design.
Tools for drafting your sewing pattern
Make sure you have:
- Pattern paper
- A measuring tape
- A tailor's square or yardstick
- A French curve
A French curve is not absolutely essential, but is a big help for drawing curves, especially if you don't feel confident sketching them by hand.
It's worth getting a real French curve, with a broad end (like the one on the bottom in the photo below). You'll use it for armholes and sleeve caps.
The curvy ruler (top) you can get in stationery supply shops is not quite the right shape and won't help you much when drawing the armhole and sleeve cap, but it is useful for adding a curve to other seams (sleeve seam, side seam). Professionals use a French curve (bottom) and you should too.
Where to get a French curve
Most sewing supply shops carry them. An online search for "French curve" will bring up plenty of results.
If you simply can't wait ;-) you can always cut one out of paper to use until you've bought one. Search for "printable French curve" and download one for free (this one is good).
Talking the talk
Sewing lingo can be a little confusing when you're starting out. If I lost you at "sleeve cap," don't worry. Here's a quick overview of the basic terms we'll use for our t-shirt sewing pattern.
Shirt body
- Neckline: Marked in red. The opening at your neck.
- Shoulder seam: Green. Runs from your neck to your shoulder.
- Armhole: Blue. Where the sleeves meet the shirt.
- Side seam: Magenta. The main seam down each side of the shirt, from the armpit to the hip.
Sleeve
- Sleeve cap: Orange. The top part of the sleeve that covers your shoulder joint.
- Sleeve seam: Pale blue. The seam that goes from the armpit to the wrist.
Take your measurements
Since we're making a custom pattern, the first step is measuring yourself. Ideally, take your measurements in your underwear or in thin, snug clothing like a tank top and leggings.
It's easiest if you get someone else to help you. Some measurements are hard to take yourself because bending over or turning can affect the result.
Use a measuring tape, fitting it close but not pulling it too tight. Stand naturally, don't suck in your stomach or puff out your chest – the pattern won't fit you.
What measurements do you need for a t-shirt
- Bust: Measure across the widest part of your chest, preferably in the bra you wear under t-shirts.
- Waist: Your natural waist is where you are thinnest, not across the belly button; usually it's just below the last rib. For some people, it's easiest to see from the back; even a very curvy torso is tapered in that one spot.
- Hips where the bottom of the t-shirt will hit: Usually in sewing, you measure around your hips where they are widest, but for a t-shirt, we are more interested in the place where the t-shirt will end, so measure there. Don't forget to note how many inches below your waist that is.
- Torso height: Measure from the collar bone over the bust to the waist. Tip: Tie a ribbon or elastic band around your waist so you don't have to look for your waist every time you take a measurement.
- Bust depth: Measure as for torso height, but only from the shoulder to the end of the bust.
- Back height: Measure from the nape of the neck to the waist. There's a small bump at the nape of your neck – if you don't feel it, tip your head forward a bit. Back height is tricky to measure on your own, but it can be done: Hold the end of the tape measure at the waist with one hand, straighten up, and note where the tape hits the nape of your neck.
- Shoulder: Measure from the side of your neck to the end of the shoulder just on one side.
- Arm length: Measure from the shoulder to the wrist (where a long sleeve will end). When measuring, bend your arm at the elbow to make a right angle. If you measure a straightened arm, your sleeves will be too short.
- Arm circumferences: Measure the circumference of your arm around your biceps and again around your wrist.
Add breathing room
If you've been sewing for a while, you know that to make clothes fit properly, you have to add a bit extra to the measurements – this is known as ease. This is especially true for non-stretch fabrics.
For knits, it's a little different. The extra allowance can be zero or even negative depending on how stretchy the fabric is and how tight you want the shirt to be.
The simplest way to get an idea of the right fit is to simply grab a favorite t-shirt from your closet and measure it (unstretched) across the chest, waist and hips.
- Tight tees have no or minimal ease added.
- Loose tees might have as much as 6 to 8 inches (15–20 cm) added. The pattern for that kind of a tee is drafted a bit differently and is not something we'll go into here.
Add the chosen allowance to your bust, waist and hip measurements. When drafting the pattern, work with the adjusted measurements.
Draft the pattern
Time to dive in and start sketching the pattern.
A t-shirt has a front and back panel and two identical sleeves.
For symmetrical garments like this one, the front and back panels are drawn in halves. The pattern piece is then laid on the fabric at the fold and cut. That is exactly what we will do.
1. Sketch the basic grid
First, we sketch a basic grid, which we will then draw the pattern onto. It's going to look like alphabet soup, but don't worry, it's pretty simple really.
- A–B: Torso height minus 3/4" (2 cm)
- B–B1: Distance from the waist to the bottom hem of the tee
- B–C: Half the bust circumference
- A–F: Half the distance A–D
By default, point H is halfway between C and D1 (so H–D1 = H–C). Where the line H–I intersects the central vertical line is where the armhole ends and the side seam of the shirt begins. However, this can yield a pretty shallow armhole, which means that the sleeve will be a bit tight under the arm. Not everyone is comfortable with that.
To get around this, measure the distance from your waist up towards your armpit (measure at your side, with your arm hanging down) to where you are most comfortable with the end of the armhole. Again, you can use a favorite t-shirt to help. If the resulting distance from point H to point C is different, adjust it on the pattern.
2. Add reference points
Now we'll add some reference points to our basic grid:
- C–D1: Back height minus 3/4" (2 cm)
- H–L: One third of the distance H–D1
- D–G: Shoulder measure minus 5/8" (1.5 cm)
- A–J: Same as D–G (so F–J = F–G)
- A–U: One third of the distance A–J plus 3/16" (0.5 cm)
- D–P: Same as A–U
- A–U1: A–U minus 3/16" (0.5 cm)
Sketch guide lines as shown below. We'll add the neckline and armholes later.
3. Shoulder
Now we'll draft the shoulder.
- J–J1: 1 1/2" (4 cm)
- G–G1: 1 1/2" (4 cm)
An inch and a half is the standard fall for the shoulder on a women's tee. If your shoulders are significantly sloped or more square, you can adjust this distance. I only give myself 3 cm, because I have more square shoulders so my ready-to-wear shirts tend to rise too much at the neck.
Draw a line from point U through J1 and from point P through G1. Adjust the total length of the shoulder line to match your measured shoulder length. It will go just beyond points J1 and G1.
4. Neckline and armholes
It's time to add the neckline and armholes.
- Draw a curve from U to U1 for the front neckline. It is a sort of flattened quarter circle. You can use the French curve for this.
- Make the back neckline the same way, but flatter and shallower.
- Front armhole (J): Work as shown in diagram below. A French curve will help.
- The back armhole (G) is slightly shallower than the front, just like on a blouse. From G, shift the armhole line a quarter inch (0.7 cm) towards the center line.
5. Body of the tee
The last step is to draw the side seams and fill in the t-shirt.
- From point B, measure one quarter of your waist circumference towards point E and mark the spot. Draw a side seam that is slightly curved at the waist – not two straight lines that meet at a sharp point. That would be hard to sew and even harder to wear.
- The side seam on the back panel is just the mirror image of this.
The shape of the side seam depends on the difference between your bust and waist. However, it should not be too curved (the sketched example is already quite pronounced). It is more comfortable to wear if the shirt is slightly looser at the waist.
If the difference is quite small for you, the side line can be straight or just a quarter of an inch. Taking the shirt in at the waist is easy, so you can tweak it during the fitting process.
How to adjust the pattern
I've already mentioned how to adjust the slope of the shoulder, but before we get into sleeves, I'd like to show two more adjustments.
Broad hips
Looking at the finished pattern so far, you may wonder if I have forgotten about pear-shaped figures, where the hips are wider than the bust. Don't worry, I've got you covered.
The length of the t-shirt is important. If it reaches to a point where the circumference is just a little bit bigger, you can leave the cut as it is. But if your hips widen a lot right from the waist, or if you want the shirt to go down all the way to the widest point, the cut has to respect that.
So how do you do it?
Move apart the front and back panels
- Leave a gap between the front and back panels when drawing the basic grid.
However, when filling in the other points and drawing the cut lines, proceed as if there were no gap (i.e. as if the F–E1 lines were one line).
The gap only comes into play for the final step, when you draw the side seam from the waist to the hips.
Overlapping
Of course, you can sketch the side seam so that the lines cross on the draft.
Then retrace the pattern pieces onto a fresh piece of paper, or cut them out and tape on the missing corners. That would work too.
Neckline adjustment
The base pattern has a close neckline that you will probably decide to widen for your shirt.
It's really designed as a starting point to be modified further. You might decide for a looser crew neck, a bateau neck, a turtleneck, or a v-neck.
Measure the desired width and depth of the modified neckline on the pattern in the shape that suits you. Remember that it must be the same width on both panels, otherwise the neckline will not match up when you sew them together.
Again, you can use a favorite top as a guide for the neckline.
Drafting the sleeves
The sleeve of a close-fitting t-shirt is drafted symmetrically. You don't really need to take into account the shallower back of the armhole.
- Start with the center line, which we will mark as line E–F.
Its length is equal to the desired sleeve length.
The standard length for a long sleeve is about 24" (58–60 cm) but the sleeve length you measured may be different.
Are your sleeves always too short? Not anymore!
- Measure the armhole depth on the finished body pattern – the green line in the diagram.
- Subtract 30%.
- Measure the result from point E downwards, mark point G and draw a perpendicular line. This is the biceps line.
- Measure the total circumference of the armhole on the pattern (marked in green in the diagram).
- Divide by two.
- Set the result on a compass as the radius and from point E draw a circle, marking where it intersects the biceps line. This gives you point D.
- Draw the line E–D.
We'll add a few place markers on line E–D:
- Divide the line into quarters. Mark the point in the middle. At the other quarter marks draw short perpendicular lines of 1/2" (1.2 cm) as you see in the picture – one pointing up, the other pointing down.
- At points E and D, also draw 1/2" (1.2 cm) guide lines. (From point D along the biceps line, from point E perpendicular to the midline.)
- Use your French curve to draw the sleeve head. Draw one half according to the markings, copy the other half – they are the same.
The rest of the sleeve is pretty straightforward. Draw the whole rectangle of the grid (or at least half of it).
- Halfway between points B and D, mark point C and from it a line perpendicular to the center.
- Make a line 1" (2.5 cm) above point C. That's the elbow.
- Measure the desired wrist circumference at the bottom edge. (Point F will be exactly in the middle.)
- Connect point D to the wrist. To make the sleeve fit better, this line should curve in slightly. The top of the curve is on the marking line above point C.
If you are not sure how much to curve the seam, be conservative. The sleeve seam is sewn at the end and can be easily adjusted after you try it on.
You can also measure the width of the sleeve at different points and compare it to the circumference of your arm at each point. Pay special attention to the forearm to make sure it's not too narrow.
Does everything check out?
The curve of the sleeve cap must be the same length as the curve of the armhole. Both are shown in green in the diagrams below.
- Measure both parts (a curved ruler is ideal, but a measuring tape works too); alternatively, you can cut out the sleeve and hold it to the armhole.
When measuring again, make a mark for the shoulder seam.
If the armhole were symmetrical, the shoulder seam of the shirt would sit exactly on the center of the sleeve cap. However, because the back of the armhole is shallower, the shoulder seam will be offset slightly.
What if you find that the sleeve cap curve is too long or too short? A difference of less than 3/8" (1 cm) doesn't have to be adjusted; you will be stretching the fabric slightly as you sew, and that tiny amount will be lost in the process.
In case of a larger difference, you've got several options. If the difference is less than 3/4" (2 cm), you can slightly shorten or lengthen (straighten or bend) the line of the sleeve cap. While this would be a problem for woven fabric, knits are more forgiving.
A more profession technique is slashing the sleeve in three places – slashes are marked red in the diagram at bottom left (dividing the sleeve roughly into quarters). You then spread or contract the sleeve evenly at all three lines and draw a new pattern piece.
Adjust sleeve length
You can easily adjust the length for three-quarter or short sleeves.
Three-quarter sleeves
- Measure the desired sleeve length. Measure on a bent arm as you did when taking the overall length.
- Measure arm circumference at the spot where you want the sleeve to end.
- Measure the new sleeve length on the line E–F and draw a perpendicular line. Measure the width (it will probably be a little less than the original width of the long sleeve at this point).
- Sketch the new sleeve. Again, curve the sleeve seam in slightly.
Short sleeve
For a short sleeve that hugs your arm, do the same as for the three-quarter sleeve. Note the new length and circumference at the end of the sleeve on the pattern and draw a new sleeve.
If you want a looser sleeve, make it as wide as you like. If it doesn't fit the way you want it when you try it on, you can always take it in.
Height of the sleeve cap
If we were to go into all the possible adjustments for this pattern, this tutorial would fill a book. But before we finish, just a few words about the sleeve cap.
The height of the sleeve cap, i.e. the distance from the biceps line to the top (E–G), is quite important for the shirt to fit right and for you to be able to move comfortably. The shorter the sleeve cap is, the easier you can raise your arm, but the more pronounced the folds will be under the armpit when your arm is hanging at your side.
For this pattern, I went with a moderate sleeve cap height, but if you want to experiment, you can try making it higher or shorter.
- For a shorter sleeve cap, subtract 50% in the step above where you subtracted 30% of the armhole depth and drew the biceps line.
- For a higher sleeve cap subtract just 25%.
Ready to sew!
If you know how to sew knits, you can take your new pattern for a spin. I highly recommend choosing a cheaper fabric or some leftover material the first time around. A tailored cut doesn't always turn out on the first try.
But once you've fine-tuned the fit, your wardrobe will never suffer from a lack of comfortable t-shirts again. You'll also have the freedom to choose any material and color you want, and be entirely independent of what they have in the shops.
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