Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

I’ve been meaning to show you how to transform the Tee pattern into simple knit dress.  Basically, all you need to do is length the lower front and back bodice pieces to your favorite dress hem length (I like my hem to hit right below the knee … There are a few proportion things to consider, so I decided to draw the steps in a series of illustration.

The first step is to prepare the lower front and back bodice pieces.  If you’re working with the Misses’ Tee, these pieces are full front and back.  Trace a copy and cut them in half lengthwise so you can work with half.   If you’re working with the women’s sized pattern, you’ll all set.

Then, extend the CF/CB to your favorite dress hem length as shown in red below.  (I like my hem to hit right below the knee).

One of the tricks to getting the shape of this dress to be flattering is to not let the hemline get too full as you extend the length of the pattern pieces.  If you start by extending the side seams, it’s tempting to lengthen them along the path they are drawn (angled away from the CF and CB). This can cause the width of the hem to get out of control.  The result will be extra fabric hanging along the side seams.

An easy way to keep the hem in check is to deal with it first.  Using a L square to draw the hemline, extending from the end of the CF/CB lines at a 90° angle as shown below.  Working with the Misses’ Tee size XL,    I extended the hemline approximately 15 inches.  (Depending on the size you are working with you may need to adjust this measurement up for larger sizes and down for smaller sizes.)   Consider this hemline a guide… you can extend it or take it in depending on the shape of your side seams.

Finish the side seams:

Shape the side seam as shown below if you have a curvy figure.  By adding some curve to the side seam, you can add width where you need it and not end up with a hem that’s too wide.  The important thing is to keep the shape of the front and back side seams similar so that they sew together nicely…. They should approximately mirror each other (they don’t have to have exactly the same curve).

If you have more of a straight figure through the hips and thighs, you can continue the side seams using a straight line.  Start at the waist and draw a line that extends to the hem.  Notice how you may have to trim some off some of the width at the original hem of the Tee.

After you finish drafting the new lower bodice pieces.  Double check that they still sew together by truing up the side seams.  –Position the front/back side seams together and make sure they are the same length.

To construct the dress, follow the same instructions that come with the Tee.  The dress at the top of the post features the V-Neckline.

I hope you find this tut helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions!  Jen