Mud Puddles & Daisies: "Little Tootsie" Shirt Tutorial

The Third Tutorial of Christmas

My little girl's nickname (one of many) is little tootsie.

I hope that explains the strange name for this tutorial. :)

I had a lot of fun making this, and I hope you give it a try. It isn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be to make a shirt, and now I'm only wishing I made it in my size. :P

MATERIALS NEEDED:
1 XL T-shirt
1/4 yard coordinating fabric (or scraps to make ties, waistband and sleeve bands) I used cotton.
pattern (click on pictures below to print)
thread
scissors
pins
sewing machine
etc...

Shirt sleeve A

Shirt Sleeve B (these two halves have to be taped together to make the sleeve)
(Cut so they stretch the width of the sleeve)

Shirt Front and Shirt Back (cut so they stretch the width of the shirt)

Shirt Sleeve Band and Waist band
(These are cut out of the coordinating fabric)

ALSO CUT TWO TIES THAT MEASURE 4" X 20"FROM THE COORDINATING FABRIC

YOU WILL ALSO NEED TO CUT THE FOLLOWING OUT OF THE T-SHIRT ONE RECTANGLE THAT IS 18" X 10" - for the shirt bottom back, AND ONE THAT IS 18" X 8" - for the shirt bottom front (I cut these off the bottom of the T-Shirt so they were already hemmed on the bottom)
AND ONE RECTANGLE THAT IS 18" X 2" FOR THE NECK BAND (Make sure this is cut so that it will stretch the long way)

BEFORE YOU START:

print and cut out all the pattern pieces, and compare them to a shirt that fits the wearer (you might have to enlarge or shrink them just a little.)

SEW 1/2" SEAMS THROUGHOUT

SEW EVERY SEAM WITH A STRETCH STITCH OR TIGHT ZIGZAG STITCH SO THAT THE FABRIC CAN STRETCH AS IT NEEDS TO
CUT:
Shirt front, Shirt back, Shirt bottom back, and Shirt bottom front (rectangles), Neck band, and sleeves out of the T-Shirt. ( I was easily able to do this out of an XL T-shirt by using the upper part of the shirt back and front for the shirt front and back, the sleeves for the sleeves, and the bottom half of the T-shirt to cut out the shirt bottoms and neck band.)
CUT:
Sleeve bands, waist band, and ties out of the coordinating fabric
Pin and sew shoulder seams of shirt front to shirt back.

sew a gathering stitch along both the top and bottom of both the sleeves (1/4 " from edge of fabric)

Gather the sleeve bottom so that it is the same length as the sleeve band, and pin like crazy (the more you pin your gathered puckers the better they will look)

Pin the right side of the sleeve band facing the wrong side of the shirt sleeve and sew a 1/2" seam.

Fold and press the sleeve band over 1/2" and then again 1/2". Pin and sew a top stitch on right side of sleeve.

It should now look like this: (hopefully you aren't lost already)

Now sew the second sleeve the same way.

Pin the sleeve and the shirt top together at shoulder seam - right sides together - gathering the sleeve so it is the same length as the distance around the shoulder of the shirt. (match up the darts) Pin like crazy and sew a 1/2" seam.

Turn right side out and make sure it looks right. :)

Then sew the other sleeve onto the other side in the same way.

Sew the armpit closed, starting at the sleeve band (make sure you line up the sleeve seams), and sewing down to the bottom of the shirt top. Finish your edges with a zig zag stitch.

Sew your neck band onto the neck of the shirt in the same way that you sewed the sleeve bands on. (Pin the right side of the neck band facing the wrong side of the shirt and sew a 1/2" seam.)

(Fold the neck band over 1/2" and then again 1/2". Pin and sew a top stitch on right side of the neck band.)

The top part of the shirt is finished now.

Sew a gathering stitch along the top of the shirt bottom front.

Pin the shirt bottom front to the waist band (right sides together), gathering the shirt bottom front so it is the same width as the waist band. Sew together with a 1/2" seam.

Fold right sides of ties inward and cut a 45 degree angle on one end of tie. Pin and sew the open side of the tie and across the angled end.

Turn the tie right side out and press and sew a top stitch around the outside edge of the tie.

Sew the 2nd tie in the same way.

Sew a gathering stitch along the top of the shirt bottom back.

Pin the ties to the shirt bottom front, lining up the bottom of the tie with the waistband seam.

Sew the shirt bottom front to the shirt bottom back at the side seams. (make sure the bottom of your shirt is even if you used the existing hem from the T-shirt like I did)