Get This Tutorial As a PDF
This tutorial has been updated, and is now available as a full step-by-step with photos in my new book 7 DIY Men’s Shirt Makeovers, part of the DIY Men’s Shirt Makeovers System.
(Sorry for the super-dark photos – my sewing room is lit only by a firefly, various glow-in-the-dark toys, and a sputtering birthday candle.)
You Will Need:
2 men’s button-down shirts in coordinating colors (I used size 16 – I think that’s an L, but I recommend using an XL if you are a S/M Misses’…an XXL if you are L/XL Misses.’) / thread matching topstitching thread in shirts / 23″ of 3/4″ wide flat elastic (white) / 3 m elastic cord (white)…we’ll be gathering fabric so only about 1m will be used eventually, but you need a longer length to do the gathering properly.
Tools:
sewing machine / needle for wovens / fabric scissors / seam ripper / iron (optional) / 1 safety pin
How To:
PREP YOUR PARTS
1. Cut Shirt #1: the sleeves off the shirt and straight across the top just under the second button.
This will serve as the body for your dress.
MAKE THE FRONT INSERT & DRESS BODY
2. To make the front insert, first cut the cuffs off both sleeves and discard. Pin the sleeves together on the long side closest to the sleeve opening placket. Sew together with a 3/8″ seam allowance, open up the piece you just sewed, and lay flat.
3. Turn insert upside-down and pin both sides of it to the underside of the opened shirt front we cut in Step 1), matching bottom hemline. (Underlap about 3/8 – 1/2″ on button placket.)
Sew to shirt front vertically along button plackets.
4. Close top button. On underside, create pleats in front insert, and pin to underside of front.
5. Sew a line straight across the top of the insert, through all layers, catching all the pleats. (This will result in a visible line of stitching through the front of your dress.) Then sew button placket closed above the line you just sewed, going through all layers.
MAKE THE BOTTOM RUFFLE
7. Using the bottom of the shirt as a guide, hem the upper strip in a similar fashion (note the center front and center back of the shirt is lower than both sides). I just traced the shape of the bottom hem, added 3/8″, turned under, and stitched a 1/4″ hemline. (I know, technically the top strip needs to be 7 and 7/8″ tall, not 7.5″…but we won’t tell anyone.;-) It’s easier to explain this way.)
8. Cut Shirt #2 according to the photo above: cut the sleeves off, and cut the yoke off the back (we’ll use the yoke later on).
As to the sleeves, mark 7.5″ down from the top of each sleeve, and 7.5″ down below that. Cut sleeves straight across at those marks. (We won’t be using the cuff pieces.)
Pin each sleeve piece together at sides to make one long continuous piece. (In this order: Sleeve cap + bottom piece + sleeve cap + bottom piece. If you’re totally anal about this piece matching the hemmed pieces from Step 7), cut one of the bottom pieces in half widthwise – and pin each half to the outside edges of this joined piece. I.e., bottom piece half + sleeve cap + bottom piece + sleeve cap + bottom piece half.)
Sew sleeve pieces together. Hem the edge that has the rounded part of the sleeve caps in a similar fashion to the piece you hemmed in Step 7), cutting off the extra to create a similar hemline.
9. Connect all 3 ruffle pieces together by sewing them at their sides with a 3/8″ seam allowance. (Connect all so you’ve made a continuous piece.)
10. Make a double knot in the end of your elastic cord. Place it on the wrong side, along the top of the ruffle piece you just sewed (about 3/8″ from the edge). Using a loose zigzag stitch on your sewing machine, zigzag over the elastic cord all the way around the ruffle piece. Do not stitch through the cord – it must remain free and moveable under your stitches. Backstitch a couple times at the beginning and end of your stitching to strengthen it.
11. Pull on the un-knotted end of the cord, gathering the fabric underneath it. Gather the ruffle piece until it is basically the same circumference as the bottom of your dress.
12. Pin the gathered ruffle to the bottom of the dress, right sides together. The bottom of the dress is already a curvy hem – pin the straight side of your ruffle around these curves. This will create a beautiful wavy hem when finished. Double-knot the elastic cording again once you have verified the pinned length of the ruffle – then cut off the extra cord.
13. Stitch ruffle to bottom of dress, stitching below the elastic cording.
GATHER THE DRESS TOP
14. Fold under top of dress about 1″+. Stitch straight across bottom of folded edge to create a casing.
15. Attach safety pin to one end of your flat elastic. Thread through the casing and out the other side.
16. Match end of elastic to edge of dress; stitch down the edge to secure.
17. Hold the elastic firmly and gather the front fabric – the finished width of your dress front needs to be 11.5″.
18. Once at the correct width, stitch down the other end of the elastic, and trim so nothing is visible from the front.
19. Repeat for the back of the dress – the finished length for the back of the dress needs to be 10.5.”
MAKE THE SHOULDER-STRAPS
20. Cut back yoke off Shirt #1 as well as from Shirt #2…which we did in Step 8). (The yoke is usually double-sided; if yours isn’t, you have to scavenge fabric from somewhere else on your shirt. I think the ties look best when the stripe pattern is going up and down the length of the tie, not across, so I chose an area where I can get a piece of fabric 17.5″ long with the stripes going up and down.)
21. Sketch out the following shape onto both pieces: a tall trapezoid, with the top side 1.25″ wide, the bottom 2.5″ wide, and the entire piece 17.5″ tall. Cut shape out, separate the front and the back, and remove any labels with a seam ripper.
22. Fold each piece over, right sides together, and sew along longest edge, pivot, and along shortest edge. Turn piece right side out, and topstitch along unstitched edge to flatten it. (You can also iron it at this point to flatten it out further.)
23. Pin each piece under the top of the dress, at both front and back, about 1/2″ down from top hem, on either side. I positioned the pieces matching the dress body at the front, and the pieces matching the ruffle at the back.
24. Stitch across strap through all layers using a zigzag stitch for strength.
25. Tie bows tightly to prevent slippage.
You’re done!
You now have a super-cute dress perfect for lounging about, a sweet babydoll nightie appropriate for the boudoir – or even, under a blazer and over jeans or leggings, a chic piece to add into any day ensemble. Or you can wear it out as is during warmer months – rocking it with some lace-up sandals, a little metallic clutch, and a rhinestone clip in your hair.
Notes:
When I created the front of the dress, I sewed 2 sleeves together – resulting in a wide pleat at the front which can, in profile, make the wearer look preggers.:-P If you prefer a less generous A-line, create use a single sleeve instead for the front insert. This dress, because of the generous front pleat, would also be great maternity wear! (It’s kind of cute-sexy, so I think it would work great!)
I would recommend if you wanted fuller bows – to either use fabric from other parts of the shirt and double the width of the cut parts…or cut the pieces as I wrote above and instead of folding them in half, just fold under the raw edges about 1/4″ and topstitch to keep in place (eliminating Step 22)- thus leaving you with single-layer fabric bows instead of double layer.
The finished dress may be somewhat short for some people -I’ve thus recommended an XL men’s shirt to hopefully deal with the length problem. Making the ruffle 8″ or 8.5″ high before you cut it out may also help with this if you’re concerned about the length – I am 5’6″.
I’d also recommend ironing your shirts first! My blue-striped shirt was a little rumply – which is reflected in the finished piece. The dress is now extremely difficult to iron due to all the ruffles – so make sure your shirts are free of wrinkles first!
Happy DIY’ing!
xo
Carly
Get This Tutorial As a PDF
This tutorial has been updated, and is now available as a full step-by-step with photos in my new book 7 DIY Men’s Shirt Makeovers, part of the DIY Men’s Shirt Makeovers System.
Thoroughly impressed….fabulous results!!
omg it's ADORABLE! nice job!
Oh that is cute! Great idea.
http://underfundedheiress.blogspot.com/
gorgeous darling as always
love it, great inspiration
thanks for sharing
and thanks for the sweet comments
-cma
check out my blog @
cosmicaroline.blogspot.com
I love this! It is amazing! I cannot wait to make one! So inventive and fabulous. P.S.You could pass for Amy Adam's twin in these photos.
SO adorable! I got a men's shirt ages ago when I decided to try your first dress tutorial…then school/job took over…now I need to go get another one to make this instead! It looks really comfortable too, so I feel safe in knowing that even if I mess up, it'll make a darling nightgown 🙂 that first picture is gorgeous, by the way.
Cute! I love the ruffles and the two coordinating patterns you used. And I like how you paired it with the jacket and jeans- that would be more “me” than just the dress. Two great looks either way though
It is super cute! Thanks for sharing it with us.
oh my lord this is effin cute!!! doing this as soon as i go to a thrift and ahve time!
xoxocathy
Tira & …love Maegan: Thank you! I kind of surprised myself!:-)
Heather: Thanks! (Can't take credit for the original idea…but I was so wanting something light and girly to bring sunshine to these endless cold, gray days here!)
CMA: Thanks! No problem! Your blog is such an inspiration to me!
Thank you for your comments, ladies!
xoxox
Carly
nikatknight: Thank you so much! It actually doesn't take that long to make (though it may seem like it from the tute)…so (almost) instant satisfaction!:-) Amy Adams is sooo gorgeous…no one's ever told me I look like her – ha!:-) I actually didn't do anything to these photos in Photoshop except to change the brightness since the room we were shooting in was unbelievably dark, so I feel exceptionally flattered by you writing that. You just made my week!;-)
Cathryn: Thank you! Yes, this is super-comfortable (though obviously not for wearing outside during freezing cold winter since men's shirts are paper-thin -brrrr!) – and I think to wear it as a nightgown I'm also going to tack down the shoulder-bows so they don't untie during the night and leave me with the nightgown around my waist around 1 AM or so.:-) You are so sweet!
Thanks for your comments!
xoxox
Carly
alex*at*aufdemaur: Thank you! I was going to get more creative and put together more looks, but the sun was going down fast and we had to grab the photos when we could. I figured for those not wanting to make a nightgown and thinking “I couldn't wear this as a dress, it's too twee” – I could show it as something you could coordinate a whole outfit with.
Kathryn: Thank you! No problem – glad you like!:-)
glimmeringmetal: Love your screen name! Def. set aside about 1.5 – 2 hrs for this project (probably will take you less!). The results are very satisfying since nothing has to be super-accurate!:-)
I appreciate your comments!
xoxo
Carly
aaaww! it is so cute, kinda cutsy lolita looking.
this is so lovely!! what a great idea!!
xx
what a great DIY! the result is amazing! xx
I die. I just die. You're my new idol and I will definitely be making this.
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Cute, hey you remind me of Christina Applegate 🙂
Hello,
LOVE the looks of this dress. I am in the process of making one RIGHT NOW and there are a few steps not super clear. Suggestions…point out where pocket is during the process, to help with which end is up and down at various points. I even got my mom over to help me figure out a step. And, I’m using GIANT shirts my big ex-football uncle sent me. Like size 3X-Tall. So this dress will be huge once finished. But, wanted to go ahead and make one to get the “how to” in my head.
If you read these comments still, I’d love to know for sure if I’m sewing the outside edge of the “insert” to the button plackets for sure. I think so, so will try that.
Thanks and hope I can finish this dress.
Q.
Hi Q- Sorry if some of the instructions were unclear. When you write about the pocket – you mean the pocket that’s on the blue-striped shirt? You never turn that shirt piece upside-down at all; you can see that the pocket is on the right throughout all the photos for the “Making the Front Insert & Dress Body” section. In Step 4) of the “Finish Front Pleat” section you turn the whole body of the dress upside-down and topstitch along the button placket outside edge (up to the top edge of the body piece) just to secure the large pleat at the top of the insert piece. That’s the only photo where the dress body is upside-down.
Yes, you are sewing the outside edges of the insert piece (oriented upside-down like in the picture) to the outer edges of the button plackets on the open shirt-piece. You stitch two vertical lines: one to the right of the buttons on the button placket side, and one to the left of the buttonholes on the buttonhole placket side, to secure that insert (which is placed underneath the button plackets, right-side-up). You’re just overlapping the button plackets onto the edges of the insert, and topstitching down.
Using size 3X-Tall will give you a lot of fabric to work with and result in more gathering at the top front, which will probably be fine unless you’re very small up top. You may have to shorten the dress before attaching the bottom ruffle, depending on how long you want the finished dress to be.
Hope that helps an best of luck with the dress!
xoxox
Carly
Hi Carly,
Okay, FINALLY finished the dress. I had put it aside while working on some other tops I sell, but did the ruffle tonight and finished it. I have some photos I’d love to show you of it. I didn’t want to use two other shirts that I had for the ruffle…they were the same color pretty much, so I got some blue/white sort of calico fabric. I made a much wider ruffle…around 9″ and did the straps in this same fabric. I actually used all of my 1.5 yards and didn’t have a lot leftover to make a rose! I did a tiny rose, but it looks so small! Really cute dress. However, a LOT of work to make. I might make myself one later….because my daughter thinks it is super comfortable. It does pull down the front, because of the weight of the fabric in front from the two shirts joining under the upside down “v” …but that isn’t that big of a deal.
Keep up the posting of upcycling other items, I LOVE that! If you would like to see and post photos of my dress, let me know. I’d really like you to see it!
Thanks so much,
Quinn