How to Sew a T-Shirt with Knit Fabric

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Sewing with knit fabrics is something a lot of people fear. Knit fabric is indeed challenging to sew with. However, there are so many fun garments and other projects you can make with knits. It’s definitely worth taking the plunge and learning how to sew with knit fabric.

You can learn to sew with knits by making any kind of garment. However, I’m showing you with a basic t-shirt because it’s something pretty much everyone wears. Making a t-shirt will teach you how to do all the essential steps of sewing with knit fabric, so it’s a good starting project.

Sewing a knit t-shirt can be very intimidating, so I wanted to make this project as approachable as possible. Not too long ago, I was also afraid of sewing with knit fabric. I’ve been making clothes for several years, but it was only within the last year that I started using knit fabric. I’m proof that you can do it too!

I broke this project into 4 parts so it’s more manageable and less intimidating to learn. Here’s what you’ll do in each part:

Part 1: Choosing a pattern and fabric, then cutting out your pattern and shirt pieces.
Part 2: Sewing the basic seams that hold your shirt together.
Part 3: Attaching a neck band.
Part 4: Hemming and finishing your shirt.

Each section will include a list of supplies & tools you need. You can do everything on a regular sewing machine, but a serger is also very useful. This is the serger I use, and I love it.

Aside from a sewing machine, you will need some very basic supplies like pins, scissors/rotary cutter, thread, an iron, and a ball point needle. We will cover these more when we get into the steps.

Pockets: If you’re making a shirt with a pocket, you can do this between steps 1 and 2. Pockets are optional, so you can skip this step if you want. When making a pocket, I recommend a few additional supplies like Wonder Tape and a walking foot, which are covered in more detail in my upcoming pocket blog.

Now that you know the plan, let’s dive into part 1! You can also watch my video, which covers all the steps we’ll be going over today. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you have a chance!

Step 1: Choosing a Pattern

Because I’m not a garment designer, I’m simply providing suggestions for patterns you can use. There are hundreds of t-shirt sewing patterns to choose from. There are probably free t-shirt sewing patterns out there, but I recommend buying one instead.

You have basically two formats for buying patterns: Printed or PDF. I highly recommend using a physical printed pattern if this is your first time working with patterns of any kind. The reason I say this is that PDF patterns can be complicated to assemble. Personally, I find them frustrating. When you’re trying to learn a new skill, I would hate for pattern assembly to keep you from getting started.

There are indie designers that make printed patterns as well as large companies like McCall’s and Simplicity. Most indie designers only have PDF patterns available because it’s much more expensive to produce printed patterns. But you can find them. The other good news is that you can usually take your PDF files to a copy shop and have them print out the pattern on large paper. You can then cut this out just like any other pattern.

These are some patterns I have personally used and enjoyed:

Butterick 6214
Sew Liberated: Stasia Tee (I believe this is out of print)
Elbe Textiles: Sage Tee (find it on Etsy)

Here are some other options that would be suitable:

Kwik Sew 3766
Simplicity 9229
McCall’s 7322 (view B)
McCall’s 7600 (view C)
Grainline Studio Scout Tee

Almost all t-shirt patterns follow the same steps for assembly, so you can use basically any pattern.

Step 2: Choosing Fabric

To make a shirt with this tutorial, you will need the right kind of fabric. Before going further, I wanted to review what knit fabric actually is.

Knit fabric is stretchy fabric made from cotton, polyester, viscose, bamboo, or other fibers. The reason it stretches is that the threads are knit together with interlocking stitches, which naturally creates a textile that stretches. Knit fabric is basically just like a knit sweater, except it’s made from much, much smaller stitches.

You can buy knit fabric most places that sell fabric — except quilt shops. Chain stores like JOANN Fabric will have lots of options but you can find knit fabric online too. There are a lot of really great fabric options on KnitFabric.com. This jersey fabric is very similar to the kind I’m using for the sample in this tutorial, or click below 👇 for more options!

Fabric Length Requirements

How much fabric do you need to sew a t-shirt? Simply look at the back of your pattern envelope (or the instructions from the designer). Refer to the size chart to find how much fabric you need to make your desired size (see step 3). Be sure to check whether the pattern is referring to 45″ or 60″ wide fabric because it will make a difference in the amount of fabric you need.

In most cases, you can make a t-shirt with 1-2 yards of fabric. But always check the pattern.

Step 3: Pre-Wash Your Fabric

It’s super important not to skip this step. Always pre-wash your fabrics before cutting them out. Knit fabric often shrinks in the wash, and the last thing you want is your freshly-made t-shirt to shrink a size or two after making it.

The best way to prevent this is to wash & dry your fabric first. I recommend washing & drying it using the same method you would for the finished garment. This could mean line drying or tumble drying — whatever your preference is.

After washing and drying, it’s a good idea to iron your fabric as well.

Step 4: Choosing a Size

One of the most challenging parts of sewing a garment is choosing the correct size to make. It can be a little easier with knits because the fabric is more forgiving with its stretchy nature. However, you want to pick a size carefully.

Start by looking at the pattern envelope or pattern instructions. The pattern should specify what the finished measurements of the garment are. Compare these to your body measurements. The pattern should explain how to measure your body correctly.

What usually matters most for a shirt is the chest/bust measurement. However, a surprising number of patterns don’t give you the finished bust measurement. I don’t understand why. If this is the case for your pattern, I recommend doing this:

Take the pattern pieces out and finding the “Shirt Front” piece.
Lay the piece flat on a table or the floor.
Find a t-shirt from your closet that fits the way you like.
Lay the t-shirt over the pattern. If the pattern is cut on a center fold like most are (indicated with arrows in the center of the pattern piece), then fold the t-shirt in half and lay it over the pattern.
Look at the pattern lines to see what size lines up with your t-shirt. Then choose the next largest size, OR whichever size is about 5/8″ outside the outer edge of your t-shirt. It might not line up perfectly. But you choose this size because it will give you enough room for seam allowance.
Finally, check this pattern size with the pattern envelope. If it seems correct based on the provided measurements (e.g. length etc.), then you can choose that size with confidence.

Patterns may also mention whether the shirt is designed with “ease.” Ease refers to the amount of roominess in the garment. You may see terms like Positive Ease, which means the garment is supposed to be oversized. Negative Ease, on the other hand, means that the garment is supposed to be made smaller than your actual measurements so that it fits snugly.

Step 5: Cutting Out Your Pattern

Now that you know what size to make, you can cut the paper pattern pieces out. If you’re not ready to commit, you can instead trace the pattern onto Swedish tracing paper, which is basically like blank pattern paper. To do this, lay your uncut pattern flat on a table and place the tracing paper over the top. Use a felt tip pen or marker to trace along the size you want to make. Then cut the pattern out of the tracing paper.

Alternatively, you could cut out the largest pattern size and then cut notches down to your preferred size and fold the excess pattern paper underneath. My mom always did this with patterns so you could still make the larger sizes, which is especially helpful with things like pajama pants. We could always make more in a larger size when we grew out of them. Just fold the notches out to make a larger size.

Folding a Pattern to Make a Smaller Size

If you ARE ready to cut your pattern out to your desired size, go for it. Make sure you’re following the correct line all the way around. Most patterns have nested lines, meaning that the smaller sizes are printed inside the larger sizes. Sometimes the lines will overlap or intersect, so be careful when cutting.

Step 6: Cutting Out Your Fabric

Now comes the fun and/or scary part, depending on how you look at it. With your pattern pieces cut out, you are ready to cut the fabric. For this, you will need:

Before we cut, I wanted to explain pattern markings. These are the lines or triangles placed on a pattern at various places. You may also see dots, which are common on patterns with gathered sections or pockets. These are intended to help you line up your fabric pieces when assembling the garment.

Beginners often cut out the notches when cutting their pattern pieces. However, I find it’s actually a lot less fiddly to mark these notches with tailor’s chalk instead. It saves time on cutting and is just as accurate. You draw one line for a single notch, two lines for double notches, and so forth.

I like using chalk because you can also mark the front and back pieces of a shirt by writing “F” and “B” on them with chalk. Sometimes it’s honestly hard to tell them apart without markings.

Smooth Out the Fabric

Always smooth the fabric out gently. Make sure that there are no ripples and that the fabric is not stretched in one direction or the other. The grain line (see below) should be straight up and down, not at an angle. It’s sometimes hard to align knit fabric perfectly, so take your time.

What is Grainline Bias and Cross Grain in Fabric

Arrange the Pieces

Laying out your fabric and pattern pieces can be tricky. Make sure you’re paying attention to any grain line markings on the pattern. The grainline will often be marked with a long arrow.

For t-shirts, this is usually pretty straightforward because all the pieces will be cut so that they align with the grain line. In other words, your shirt pieces will be oriented with the selvedges to the left or right. This results in your shirt pieces having more stretch width-wise.

Pattern instructions usually include a diagram showing you how to lay out the pieces on your fabric. For the most part, you can follow the instructions from your pattern. Make sure any pieces that tell you to “cut on the fold” are arranged properly. The fold should be in the center of the pattern piece (e.g. the center of the shirt). Make sure you don’t cut the fold.

Pin the Pieces

I always pin my pattern pieces to the fabric. However, pattern weights are getting more popular. These are basically small heavy things you put on a pattern in lieu of pins. They are intended to hold the paper in place while you cut, eliminating the need to pin.

If pinning, be sure to place the pins within the pattern so you don’t run the risk of accidentally cutting over them. I like to pin about 1″ inside the edge of the pattern.

Cut the Pieces

To cut out your fabric, you can use sharp scissors or a rotary cutter and mat. I prefer the rotary cutter method because it’s faster. However, make sure you’re experienced with a rotary cutter first. You don’t want to slip and cut into your garment pieces!

Mark the Pieces

Make sure you mark the appropriate notches with tailor’s chalk (described above) or cut the notches out of the fabric. Be sure to cut them away from the pattern, not into the pattern.

Next Up: Sewing Your Shirt

Cutting out your pattern pieces and fabric is a lot of work, so this is a good stopping point. If you’re ready, you can move onto Part 2 where we will sew the basic seams holding the shirt together.

If adding a pocket, it’s easiest to do this now — before you start step 2. You can read my upcoming knit pocket sewing tutorial for a step-by-step guide. This step is completely optional, and you can skip it even if your shirt does have a pocket.

I hope you’re enjoying this blog series and I would LOVE to see how your shirt is coming along. You can tag me @craftingwithclementine on any social media platform (Tik Tok, Insta, YouTube, Threads, and Pinterest) or use #CraftingWithClementine.

How to Sew a T-Shirt with Knit Fabric: Part 1

Step 1: Choosing a Pattern