There is no summer fabric clothing item more versatile than the cotton T-shirt. They’ve come a long way since the image of Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. Today, you can easily spend $100 for a quality tee. And, if a T-shirt is well made and beautifully constructed, it can be the focal point of your wardrobe.
Ladies Choice – Custom Made Cotton Tees
For this exercise, we’re going to focus on the ladies since we figure you want a variety of shirts you can wear interchangeably with a suit or a pair of jeans. Most guys are content to wear their college or Pro team pre-made cotton fabric tee.
When sewing your own T-shirts, you can pick a pattern from your favorite American pattern maker like Vogue, Butterick, Simplicity or McCall’s. It helps to measure a favorite T-shirt and start with a pattern whose basic measurements and features are right for you. Also take a look at ready-made garments that appeal to you for shaping, details and other ideas.
Quality Summer Cottons to Fit Every Body Type
Since every body type is unique, you’ll want to pay attention to how long you want the shirt, whether you want it to fit tight or loose across the bust, neck shape (round, v-neck, boat neck), and so on.
Giving thought to this type of information will be helpful in customizing a pattern for the fit and details you want.
First on your list is finding high-quality cotton knit fabrics. J&O Fabrics carries a large selection of comfortable cotton knit in solid colors and patterns, ideal for T-shirts.
Let Marcy Show You How You CAN Make a Quality Cotton T-Shirt
Second is overcoming anxiety about actually making a quality cotton T-shirt that your friends will admire and one you will enjoy for years to come. Not to worry. One of our goals on this blog is to point you to resources that help you stretch (no pun intended) yourself toward creating an item of clothing you never thought possible.
Marcy Tilton, writer for Threads Magazine, has made T-shirts from many knit fabrics, including cotton, wool, velour, cashmere, panné velvet, Lycra blends and fleece.
So we feel extremely confident in directing you to her sewing instructions for a fabulous summer knit fabric tee.
The perfect fabric and fit can turn a humdrum T-shirt into a timeless fashion staple. Or let your imagination run wild and add your own personal touches for a bolder statement.
