Welcome! In this post, we will acquire hints and techniques for how to sew t-shirt material. Every step of the journey, TeeNavi‘ll be there for you! Learn how to sew t-shirt fabric with our easy step-by-step guide for different types of fabric.
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1. Why You Should Learn how to Sew t-shirt material
When learning how to sew t-shirt material you can customize everything you want at home. You can make:
- T-shirts
- Leggings
- Cardigans
- Underwear
- Cozy scarves
- Soft comfy dresses
- Snugly nightgowns
- The best pajamas
- And more… both men’s and women’s clothing
Here is a specific guide to make a complete shirt, don’t miss it!
2. Choose needle for sewing
Plain and straightforward, a ballpoint needle is needed for stretch textiles. Stretch needles and jersey needles are additional names for this kind of needle. The knit fibres will be torn by an ordinary needle or sharp needle that you’d use for weaving materials. It has happened to me.
So if at all feasible, begin with a ball-point needle. You might be able to get away with using a standard sewing machine needle. While not as pointed as sharp needles, universal needles nevertheless lack the ballpoint needles’ rounded tip. Although they are advertised as all-purpose needles, I prefer to utilize ballpoint needles for stretchy fabrics as I usually insert a fresh needle for every stitching job.

3. Choose the best thread for sewing
Most likely, you are currently using polyester all-purpose thread. Keep doing so! Most people can find it. When stitching stretch fabric, use polyester thread instead of cotton thread (which many quilters like). When you extend the hem of the t-shirt, the polyester thread, which does have some flexibility, will hold up better.
Cotton threads have absolutely no elasticity. Put them aside for your quilts.

4. How to sew t-shirt material step by step?
Many people love the look and feel of a well-sewn t-shirt. It’s a popular garment for many reasons, not the least of which is that it’s comfortable and affordable. In addition, sewing your own t-shirts gives you control over the fit, style, and fabric of each one. You can also make a custom t-shirt as unique as you like by adding special touches like lace or ribbon trim. See more about how to sew t-shirt material below:
4.1 Make a t-shirt pattern
Before sewing a t-shirt, you need to have a t-shirt template, this pattern helps you to sew the t-shirt most accurately, usually, people will draw a pattern before sewing and draw on the pattern paper commonly used for sewing.
- ✅ First, you choose a t-shirt that you currently have to model. You need to make sure that this is a t-shirt you really love and that it fits your body.

- ✅ You lay the t-shirt on a flat surface and straighten the creases. Be careful not to apply too much force to stretch the shirt. Don’t forget to turn the t-shirt inside out before performing these operations.
- ✅ Use a pencil or fabric-specific chalk to outline around the edge of the t-shirt. Stretch vertically from the 2 sides of the shirt, the 2 sides of the shoulders, the back necklines and the bottom. On the sleeve, fold it and draw along the hemline connecting the arm to the bodice. You will eventually draw a shape that looks like a vest.

- ✅ Cut out the part you just drew. As a result you will get the following t-shirt pattern. Use this pattern piece to cut a similar piece but with a slightly lower neckline to create a stronger previous pattern (you can refer to and follow your existing t-shirt). Then you continue to cut the hem out and get another piece of the front pattern

- ✅ Next, you will make the sleeve template, you put the t-shirt back on the paper and draw the border around any 1 sleeve. Make sure to draw all 3 sides of the sleeve. Now that you have half of the sleeve pattern, you just need to multiply this piece table to get the sleeve pattern (i.e. include 2 front and back sleeve pieces to form the sleeve).

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4.2 Cut out the t-shirt parts
It is also very important to cut the fabric from the shirt pattern. Therefore, you need to cut neatly and accurately according to the paper pattern as possible:
- ✅ Lay your fabric on a flat surface, making sure it stays flat, without any creases, stretch marks.
- ✅ Place your t-shirt swatches on top of the fabric one at a time, aligning them to fit (fabric tension across the t-shirt width).
- ✅ Some tailors will use staples to fix the fabric, but this will cause the fabric to be deformed and unsightly. One tip for you is that you can use more powerful objects like books to hold them in place without distorting the fabric.

- ✅ Using tailor’s chalk draw around the edge of the piece of paper carefully. Take care not to pull the canvas when drawing.
- ✅ After you finish drawing, make a cut out on the fabric as you did on the previous pattern. Cut out the components of the shirt one by one. Once finished, you will get a front piece, a back piece, and 2 sleeves.
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4.3 Sew the t-shirt parts together
Some sewers might find it intimidating to know how to sew t-shirt material, but we’ll make it easy! If you follow this simple method, you’ll fall in love with this cozy, functional fabric. Learn how to sew a simple jersey t-shirt by following the project.
- ✅ Step 1: Pin shoulder seams
The first step in how to sew t-shirt material is to pin the front to the back at the shoulder seams. Take note of how the front collar is lower than the back.
Before stitching down the seams, you might wish to support the shoulder lines with something stretchy. This will prevent the shoulder lines from showing as the t-shirt is pulled over the head.
- ✅Step 2: Sew shoulder seams
Use a zigzag stitch to sew the shoulder seams in how to sew fabric onto a shirt. Because it expands with the cloth, making puckering and thread breakage less probable. Select the smallest zig-zag stitch that won’t pucker or strain your fabric, as the wider/longer your stitch, the weaker it will be.

- ✅Step 3: Prepare a neckband
Now wrap the ribbed neckband all around the neckline. Do you lack ribbing? It’s not an issue. Simply cut the neckband out of your interlock fabric. This looks good with a more formal shirt. The ribbing adds a casual touch. Stitch the ends together with a 1/4′′ seam allowance using a zigzag stitch.

- ✅Step 4: Attaching neckline
You may follow the below steps for attaching the neckline:
-
- Fold the ribbing in half, wrong sides together, lengthwise. Press.
- Pin the fold (left) and the seam allowance.
- Fold in half once more, matching both other two sides this time. Pinning these fold lines
- Your ribbing should now include four equally delineated areas.
- Apply the same technique to the t-neckline. Pins are not required for the two seams since they leave a mark.
- determining the centre of the neckline
- Match the ribbing pins to the t-pins/seams. shirt’s
- Pin the pins on the ribbing to the pins on the t-shirt. Because you’ll be stretching the cloth as you stitch, they won’t match properly. However, you want them fastened down.
- Pin the ribbing pins to the t-pins/seams. shirt’s
- Now, align the pins on the ribbed to the pins on the t-shirt. They won’t match properly since you’ll be stretching the cloth as you stitch. However, pinning them in place will assist the neck in lying flat.

- ✅Step 5: Add sleeves
It’s time to put on the sleeves. Knit sleeves are much easier to put on than woven sleeves. I normally mark (or not) the top of the sleeves and pin them in place. Attach the sleeves to the shirt using a zigzag stitch. When you stitch it, it will stretch somewhat. Rep with the other sleeve.

- ✅Step 6: Sew side seams
Pin the side seams with the right sides together, matching the underarm seam. Sew the opposite seams with a zigzag stitch.

- ✅Step 7: Hem t-shirt
You can’t just straight stitch across the bottom border of a sweater. Those stitches will come undone. Zigzag stitching will stretch, but it will not look good. One approach to keeping the hem threads from unravelling is to use a needle to draw the threads toward the inside and then knot them off.

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5. What materials do you need to sew t-shirt fabrics?
In order to learn how to sew t-shirt material, you will need some basic supplies, including fabric, thread, scissors, and a sewing machine. It’s also helpful to have a seam ripper, pins, and measuring tape on hand. When choosing fabric, keep in mind that 100% cotton is the best choice for t-shirts, as it breathes well and is comfortable to wear. Besides cotton, you may consider other fabrics below which are also good for the best way to sew t-shirt material:
- ✅Double brushed polyester
- ✅Rayon spandex
- ✅Cotton blends
- ✅Poly jerseys
- ✅Sweater knit
- ✅French terry

6. Tips when shopping for t-shirt material
- Stretchy fabrics have different names like spandex, lycra, jersey, knit, and scuba. Explore them at the fabric store.
- Light jersey is good for tees, dresses, underwear, and cardigans. Lycra has 4-way stretch for swimsuits, leggings, and sportswear. Thick knit is great for pants, skirts, and cardigans.
- Avoid fabrics that curl at the edges for your first knit project. They are harder to work with. If you buy them, get extra inches and use spray starch and iron to flatten them.
- Follow the ‘direction of stretch’ when laying your pattern pieces. It goes around the body and is more important than the ‘grainline’.
- Get more fabric than you need. This helps if the fabric is not cut straight or wide enough.
- Steam your seams to shrink them back to normal.
- Solid knit fabrics can be used on either side. Pick the one you like more.
- Check the seam allowance in your pattern. It may be smaller for stretch fabrics.
- Lower your presser foot pressure if your fabric looks stretched out when sewing.
- See if your sewing machine has any knit features.
That’s all TeeNavi offered to you on how to sew t-shirt material. Hopefully, by these steps, you may create your t-shirt by yourself. It’s necessary that you follow us in the next post for more information about fashion, materials, and garments. Thank you for your following!
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Mi Myth is the Commerce Editor for TeeNavi, specializing in curating recommendations for apparel, accessories, and home living. As the dedicated editor, Mi Myth diligently explores and tests a wide range of products, ensuring that her gift guides feature the latest and most promising items in the realms of clothing, accessories, and home essentials. When not immersed in the world of fashion and lifestyle, Mi Myth enjoys quality time with her two rescue dogs.
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