Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Game Day Dress: a tutorial




College football season is here and I couldn't be more excited! Game days in Aggieland are always so fun, especially the first game of the season. We go all out here. Girls in dresses and sometimes boots. They sell game day dresses at one little fabric shop in town but I scoff at their $100 price tags. I've become such a snob when it comes to things like this. Thinking, "I could totally make that myself. Why would I pay so much for it here?" The number one reason why sewing is awesome! You can save some money while customizing to your own particular tastes. 

Of course you could make a dress out of any T-shirt. High school, professional teams, band t-shirt for a concert, organizations, etc. You can also eliminate the need to purchase fabric by using the hem of an old tee to extend the dress. 

I did make one little mistake in this tutorial. I'll point it out to you when we get there (: 

Materials:
you'll need...

Oversized T-shirt
(I normally wear a medium but purchased an XL for this project)

1/3 yd + Knit Fabric

Lace Hem Tape or Ribbon
(at least two yards)

1/2" wide Elastic
(measure where the dress will fit above your bust, then add 2 inches)


Tutorial:

Begin by measuring around your bust. Take that number, divide it in half, and add 2. 

i.e. I measured 36 inches around so I divided it in half and added 2 inches to get a final number of 20 inches. This will be the width of your dress.


Start by turning your shirt inside out and measuring across..


Mark on either side of your predetermined measurement.


Here's where I made that little mistake that I told you about.  I drew a straight line down to the hem from the marks that I made earlier.




What I probably should have done was extend the line into more of an A shape.  It turned out fine but this is how I would do it next time:


Sew up the line you drew on either side of the shirt. 


Make a straight cut just under the collar.




Before cutting off the extra seam allowance, try on the top and make sure it's not too tight. When you're sure you don't need to make any corrections cut off the extra fabric on the other side of your stitches.



Now you should have something like this:


Now let's make the casing. Iron down about 3/4" of fabric at the top of the dress.


and one more time.


Pin down.


Sew with a zig zag or stretch stitch. 


Leave a two inch gap somewhere near the seam of the dress.


Thread your elastic around the entire casing.



Sew the ends together


and then sew the gap closed.


If you just want a gameday top you can stop right here. If you're wanting a dress, you'll probably want to add a little length to it. I did this the same way as I did in my lengthening a dress tutorial. Check that post for a little more detailed process including a formula for the width  of fabric that you'll need.

Once you've cut your fabric (mine was 13 inches wide), fold hot dog style and pin. 


Sew down the length of the fabric.


Turn inside out and press to give it a nice shape.


Press one of the ends in like so:


Insert the unpressed end into the pressed end so that you have a loop of fabric. The circumference of the loop should match the circumference of the hem of your t-shirt. 

Sew along the hem of the tee.



Now just cinch in the waist with a little lace tape or ribbon and you're ready for the game!






Hullabaloo Caneck Caneck! Time for some fightin' Texas Aggie football!


















My roommate got me thinking about making these dresses and a slightly different version to sell. What do you think? Do you think anyone would buy them? I've been toying with the idea of starting an Etsy shop for a while but I guess I'm afraid of failure. I'd hate to invest time and money and end up never selling anything. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks (:

*Update 9/26/11*

Thanks so much for your support! My very first customer contacted me and I made this little dress for her:


Doesn't it look great on her? Maybe I really can do this!

...


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105 comments

Unknown said...

I like that you said fold it hot dog style haha

Lauren said...

I'm a junior at Texas A&M as well and I've been following your blog (and trying out your tutorials) ever since I found it on Pinterest earlier this summer.

I am SO glad you posted this...I too think paying someone else $100+ for a gameday dress is kinda silly and I've been toying around with how I want to make mine for a few weeks now. You just helped me iron out all the kinks in my design!

I love your blog and you inspire me to find time to sew in the midst of a crazy college schedule!

LBMM said...

$100 for those dresses now? Wow! I am only one year removed from A&M but when they first started selling those dresses they were around $40! (I thought that was even way too much) Since I don't live in College Station anymore (bummer) would it be totally lame if I made one of these for myself to wear while watching the game from home? I think not!

I love your sweet blog! It's so awesome to connect with other Aggies through blogging!

tousled day said...

OMG!!! I'm so going to do this for my friend. She is ultimate fan of Hajduk, our soccer team. She is going to love this. Thanks for idea and tutorial.

tousled day said...

P.S. If you don't try, you will never know what could happen. Good luck!

Jenn said...

These dresses are great! I'm a former student and didn't get into sewing until after I graduated. Before you try selling, check into licensing. Most college and pro teams have licensing fees on their colors and logo. I know someone else tried to sell Auburn tees and got shut down by the school. Look into it first- maybe there's a way a small business can get into selling, because these dresses are great!

Rebecca @ My Girlish Whims said...

start a shop! it would be great!! i bet you could be totally successful. even if you dont sell a ton, might be fun to try!!

Anonymous said...

You should definately start a etsy shop! I would buy from you!

Anonymous said...

This is adorable! (I might not be a Texas fan, but I do like the dress :))

Madaline said...

those are so cute! i've been looking for a good tutorial for a dress like this!

I just started an etsy shop myself! i've got a giveaway going on my blog and i would love for you to check it out!
madalinemeatte.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

This dress is so cute and you could so sell anything you make. You are talented beyond your years!! Good luck!! Love all the football pictures! Don't you know all your girlfriends were jealous they didn't have as cute as a dress as you did!!

Mary said...

You should TOTALLY do it! I love reading your blog and pretending that I could do half of the amazing stuff you do! :) Keep up the good work! And, just so you know, I think TONS of people would buy from you. :D I've already told friends to read your blog. Imagine the possibilities...

Unknown said...

ohhh gameday dresses... i made mine and wore it to a few games. however~ I decided I'd rather either: 1. not go to the game or 2. wear nikes and a tshirt. I was sort of a 2%er. I know: shame on me!! GREAT tutorial.. exactly how I would do it :)

La-Dee-da crafter said...

I love your dress which is amazing considering I graduated from Texas Tech, haha. But I love how easy and fun this is!!! You should sell them. No doubt!!!
following you now
ladeedaceations.com

MeganMcKay said...

YES! Please do open an Etsy shop. You will no doubt be able to sell things and make a profit.

However, might I make a suggestion? Why not purchase a domain and use AdSense (or another ad program) to make a bit of money from your blog? With a little bit of research and some minor tweaking, you would be able to place ads on your site, potentially have another stream of income, and not take away from the reader's experience.

I've been doing some research in order to create my own blog, so I would love to share everything I've learned with you. It's the least I could do, since you so kindly share your creativity with all of us!

ck said...

The nice thing about selling on Etsy, is that as long as you have a picture for an example, you can make things to order. That way there is very little money invested, and just $0.20 to list each item. I have a small Etsy shop where I sell name banners, and I highly recommend it as a place to "test the waters" for selling your wares. If things take off, you can always expand in other ways, but I think Etsy is a great place to begin! :-) I vote Go For It!

I really enjoy your blog! And since it's now the most wonderful time of the year (college football season", I have to add BOOMER SOONER!!!! ;-)

Unknown said...

Love this! Whoop, Gig Em and DO IT! You'd make a killing and I'll be your first customer. Most of my fam are Aggies! My SIL would LOVE one of these! Great job, yet again lady!!

Rach H @ FamilyEverAfter said...

I just found your blog, and I love it! You've got awesome stuff! This tutorial is great!!! I wish I had made something like this for my fist college game of the season on Saturday. You are so cute, I'm excited to be following your blog now!

Unknown said...

GREAT job on the dress! My sister who is an alum would just die!

As for the Etsy shop, they are tons of work. It makes sewing a chore instead of something that is just for fun in my opinion!

Hannah

Unknown said...

This is a great idea! I make stuff like this for myself and my kids all the time. I have an etsy shop where I upcycle previously loved tees into dresses, tops and pants. Mostly for kids, the trick to etsy is finding your niche, and with a blog you already have a fanbase so go from there! And good luck! :D

ikaxela said...

Love your blog, thanks for the tutorial, it's really great!
ikaxela(Athens, Greece).

Emily said...

Just found your blog recently and I could not be more in love with it!! I seriously want to make everything you post! Thank you so much for brightening my day! :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you...your posts are always interesting!!

M said...

This is adorable!!! I tried to make a dress like this once, but it was too short, so I never wore it. Never thought of adding length to it. Also, I think people would definately buy your stuff on etsy.

One note for the dress. For some people, just cutting down from your chest measurement will give you a VERY tight dress when you get towards the bottom. I know that was the issue I had when I made one, so you really do need to kind of flare out from the chest measurements a bit.

Your tutorials are so well presented, thank you so much!!

Joanie said...

Love the dress!! Go aggies!!
Joanie
Katy TX

Anonymous said...

Go for it on the etsy shop!!! I love this tute and have a cousin who would be a very happy lady with one of these :)

gina said...

I think you should try out etsy - I love that place and buy stuff all the time! Besides... my hubby would love it if I showed up for a game in a PSU dress like yours =)
Those who dont sew... shop! =)

marla grace said...

you have great tutorials!

def. try etsy! it can be a bit of a headache, but it's a great way to start selling your items.

Kelsey Cole said...

oh my goodness that dress turned out SO cute:) i love it! what a fun way to look cute on game day!

Originally Yours said...

Love the dress and I love the Aggies! Gig Em!

Sarah Beth said...

I too have been thinking about starting an etsy shop! I too am afraid of failure! I say go for it! Your dress is adorable!

mama3davis said...

You are so stinkin' cute. I grew up in Houston but now live in Knoxville and have to say that people would eat up a game day dress like that here . . . of course in the most outrageously unattractive orange you have ever seen. My suggestion is start slow. You only need one picture on Etsy to offer it for sale. You can make by order in the beginning. Also, if you offer other stuff that you would be want to wear yourself then you are expanding your wardrobe if it doesn't sell. You can offer it made in other sizes on order. Good luck! I love your blog!

ltennet said...

Thank you so so much for posting this! I've always loved the look of t-shirt dresses, but they're so expensive to buy sometimes. Once I get my sewing techniques down I can't wait to try this. You should definitely start to sell them! I know tons of girls at AtM who would LOVE these. By the way, you're blog is one of my favorites!!

Ellen H said...

I think you should definitely start an etsy shop! This tutorial is easy to follow- I'm the only crafty one of my friends but I'm forcing them to try to make dresses with me tonight! Thank you so much for sharing your talent!

alyssa johns said...

Sell, sell, sell! Super cute!

wingchick99 said...

I think you should sell them. If you are worried about to much cost and you want to do different teams and stuff you can try a thrift store for shirts they sometimes for a buck and it would cut your costs good luck. Super cute

K said...

I love your dress!!! As a former Aggie, Gig' em : )

dawn marie said...

DEFINITELY create an etsy account! I would love to purchase one of your fabulous projects :) you are super!!

Rachel // Maybe Matilda said...

You little smarty pants! I've always hated wearing the gigantic shapeless t-shirts--this is a great way to support your team without looking like a slob! ;-)

Krista & Tyler said...

Thanks so much for your tutorials! I'm loving them! I love feeling more and more confident with sewing! I've made the maxi dress, and then altered it to make 2 knee length 'maxi' dresses, and then combined those with a big bow!

I also whipped up a glasses case, and linked back to your site!

Thanks again!
http://tylerandkrista.blogspot.com/2011/09/glasses-case.html

Alex said...

My boyfriend is a huge OSU fan (but we go to a small midwest engineering school) no one would dream of actually wearing anything like this for our school but I ordered a t-shirt last night to make into this dress Ohio State edition! Go bucks!

I love your blog :) I quilt a lot and do a zillion other little side projects. I know my friends are always amazed that I find the time to sew while we are in school. Keep it up, I love seeing your stuff.

Anonymous said...

I love all your tutorials - especially this one! I go to Alabama and would love a dress like this. Unfortunately, while I can fix a button or a loose hem, I cannot sew well enough to do most of these things. You should totally start an etsy shop! I'd be one of your biggest customers!

Jess said...

I love your blog Katy!!! Thanks for all the great ideas. I think i pinned 5 of them. :)

Katie @ My Darling Days said...

Umm I think you, with an Etsy shop, would be FANTASTIC! You've got some major talent! And I'd totally buy a Green Bay Packer's dress! :)

Sarah Shalley said...

You're adorable! I'm Class of 2005. Can't wait to read your blog more. :) I want to make a tshirt quilt out of all my old aggie tees...will need some advice so please be thinking.

SIMPLEmadeMOM said...

I would totally buy a UGA one if you made it :)

Carrie said...

Cute dress, even if I am a Baylor Bear! :)

Lindy said...

I was just telling my boyfriend that I needed to make a tube top for game day out of a tshirt. This really helps! Thanks so much! OH, and I totally think you could sell them, especially since you are an education major. Just tell people in class that you make them and they will jump all over it, especially if you let them pick their tshirt! Super cute, I'm jealous of your skillz.

Lindy said...

P.S. I think it would be SO cute to do a reverse applique ATM on the dress too! Like a plaid under the maroon!

Danielle said...

SO cute and simple! I'm going to make a dress for all my fav sports teams.

Anonymous said...

Whoooooop........I'm an "old" AG....class of '75. I'm glad I found you. HUGS

Amanda said...

If you opened an etsy shop I'd buy. I'll even send you a shirt from my school, so you can make this dress for me. :)

You have great talent. (And looks good on a resume.)

bloem family said...

What a cute idea!! I found your blog through pinterest {the pumpkin muffins} but will definitely be following you! What great talent :)

Gig'em!
Heather '02

bloem family said...

oh, and I definitely think you should open a shop!

Bec said...

Very cute idea! My place of employment is going to have us wear t-shirts and I have told my boss that I was going to turn mine into a dress. Given that I am not young and cute (or tiny), strapless will not work for me. However, you have inspired me. I think I could attach the t-shirt to a long sleeve, more fitted tee by using your idea of creating a tube out of the logo shirt.

You should definitely sell your creations! Good luck!

Ali Dumas said...

I have searched high and low for instructions and yours were by far the best! Nice job. I made one for the Baylor vs. TAMU a few weeks ago but it didn't turn out just like I wanted so next time I'll follow your instructions.

Gig 'Em
Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 1998

Unknown said...

Totally start at Etsy shop. In a fit of rage, I started mind.

That sounds wierd, let me start at the beginning.

I set up an Etsy shop but then never got around to putting anything in it. Then, last Christmas, I bought a table at a craft fair to sell my items. Well, nothing I made sold. NOTHING. At that point, I had stayed up all night trying to finish stuff, so in my sleepless drunken haze, when I got home, I photographed and posted the stuff I made to my shop.

To my shock and awe, my stuff started to sell. But this is my secret, just about all my stuff I make is made after the order is placed - that way, I don't have to invest money into an item before it is bought. Second, if by chance I post an item that hasn't been made for an order, I always have another purpose for it, meaning I can just use it in my house or use it as a gift for a friend if it doesn't end up selling.

Best of luck!

Sis-O said...

Do it! No Fear and all that....

Kim said...

you should totally sell them as long as you come up with something different. i made the big bucks (also at a&M) during football seasons making these all through college for girls. i even made them for rush for a few sororities! great job and great tutorial :)

Jackie Riggs said...

Definitely do the shop! I live about 2 hours away from College Station and there's a girl near here who sells "game day" type dresses for around $60-$75. I've been wanting to do one for me for my school (I'm a teacher). So yeah, $100?? Way better to do it yourself!

And GIG EM! :)

Not Your Cookie Cutter Blog said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

DO IT!!! This was so creative! I know there are a lot of guys and gals that'd go for customized clothing!

MegMo said...

Just like www.spiritdress.com...

Unknown said...

I made a Georgia dress for gameday using your tutorial, I got so many compliments and it was a different look than the same old little red or black dress. Thanks so much for posting this!

ADMIN said...

Nice dress! Game day is up and almost everyone in America is tuning in to catch their favorite teams' matches. If you're green like me, then check out these useful tips on how to green your game day. I found this video tips on YouTube. http://youtu.be/bXCTr8b_FxA

melissa said...

I found this on pinterest. I'm class of 2011.awesome tutorial! I made a gameday dress a few years ago because I thought the prices were ridiculous. Thanks for sharing!! Your dress is really cute! :)

Emily said...

You're awesome! Nice job- the dress is super cute.

Audrey said...

Love the dress. I've been trying to find a way to make a cute one with straps, so I can still wear a bra. My...assets...can't get away without one, especially standing the whole game! Any suggestions? Thanks and gig 'em!

Craft Snob said...

Gig em Aggies! I didn't know you were an Aggie. I'm an Aggie class of 2004. Oh well, now you know how old I am!

Anonymous said...

That came out great, good job! These would make cute little girl dresses though I would have to use LSU shirts :)


Jamie @ sewrockin.com
(and fellow Texan)

strat said...

You look hotter than ever with that improvisation.

outlooksoft

Jessica Compton said...

Great tut! I found your blog via pinterest. Gig Em' Class of 2000!

autumninmyeyes said...

Hey!
I just started browsing your site, and I'm absolutely in love with all of your ideas! so creative! I just wanted to mention.. you DEFINITELY should make an Etsy shop! I buy things on Etsy all of the time! It's so easy to set up, and I'm very confident your adorable creations would sell like crazy! good luck!
Claire(:

The Mrs. said...

This looks so EASY ... But, I don't know how to sew. If you have an etsy shop to purchase t dresses like this can you please email it to me? I would loveeeeeee to get a cowboys dress made! Lisa_Beth_03@hotmail.com

Samatha said...

Can't believe you made this! I'll make sure that I follow your tutorial. What a nice dress, you are so creative!

-Samatha @ Calvin Klein jackets

Caro Paredes said...

wwwoow! So easy, so cute. Love it

Pennie said...

WOW! So easy and adorbz! This is going to be perfect for me!

Chloe said...

Your Gameday Dresses are super cute:) You should try to sell these dresses to local boutiques and online stores for sure!

Danielle F. said...

I think this dress is adorable and your tutorial is wonderful! You should definitely set up an Etsy shop, it's easy to do and I am sure there would be tons of people who would love your dresses! Thank you for the great tutorial! Keep up the great work!

NanaSusie said...

I would LOVE the dress if it were an ARKANSAS RAZORBACK one!!! Wooooo Pig Soooie!! Having said that, what I'm REALLY interested in knowing is WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU LEARN HULLABALOO?!?!? My high school uses it and I've NEVER heard of another school that uses it!!!

Thanks for your tutorials. I do love me some SEWING!!!

Elle May said...

This is too stinkin cute!! I love it! My whole family is full of Auburn Tiger girls, so I have a feeling that when I show up in AU tiger version, they are gonna want to know the secret!
- I'll send 'em your way!
Also, this post has led me to follow your blog, and its cute!
Keep up that southern charm darlin'!

Anshu said...

Linked up here:

http://sewprettysewfree.blogspot.com/2012/05/game-day-dress-from-tshirts.html

Valerie said...

OK, how about I just send you an XL Ole Miss T-shirt and you send me back one of those cute little dresses????
Seriously, you need to start an ETSY shop!!!

carolin said...

Came across this on Pinterest...would love if you made an LSU dress! :)

Jennie B said...

This is perfect! Me and a few friends made some for the rest of our friend group before we all went out separate ways for college

Jennie B said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

<3<3<3<3

My current dillema in trying this tutorial, other than the fact that I don't sew very well, is what team to do! Since I live in St. Louis, we have three teams that either I or my hunny, love so I have no idea which to make first.

Thanks so much for this tutorial. I will definitely be giving it a shot as soon as I figure out which team to choose first :-]

Dana S said...

Your tutorial is exactly what I was looking for. My daughter just went off to, coincidently enough, A&M, and asked for a game day dress. Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Unknown said...

that is something amazing and useful for me i can avail a lot from it if you want further collection of sports apparel you have it easily online on got apparel....

sports wear

Carol's Training Blog said...

I absolutely love this!!! You have inspired me to learn how to sew! My boyfriend is in a band and when the next batch of shirt come in I'm making one for me & the girls! Out of curiosity, how much to you charge?

History Of Pictures of Tayyab Khakan said...

What a nice idea for making a great shirt. thanks for sharing.
http://stylopoint.com

sewshesaid said...

saw a mention of licensing. if it customers provide shirt u can get away without . now w the SEC license is prohibitive.

Unknown said...

Thanks for this great tutorial!!
I love the T-shirt and I can't believe you made it yourself. The whole outfit is very nice.

Buy Women Tops

Unknown said...

wow,you are great, good DIY, I like the t shirt very much.

nomzam said...

The original dress were looking perfect. but as you change the look its look amazing really creative you are.

Stephanie @ Tailgatequeen said...

Impressive! I feel like if I did this it would be a disaster!

Stephanie
gameday dresses

Heather P said...

Thanks for the step by step!! We are going to the Alabama game and I want to make this for me and my daughter. My 25th reunion and my daughter is a high school sophomore. We are traveling from Ft. Collins, Co and I saw these at a CSU game this weekend. The ones I saw here had something going on in the back?? maybe they did something with the sleeves? any ideas? There was also one with criss-cross wide ribbon down the back too!!
ps. if you know the game is a maroon or white out, could you let me know:))
Gig'em!
Heather "88

Unknown said...

Bringing such a lovely dress was always my dream, but when I tried at home that didn't fit my body so I'd used a bra tape like Bye Bra breast stickers (http://byebra.com).

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Unknown said...

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Tasty Destination said...

These instructions are great - thank you... I have just made some dress and the results are brilliant. I love the dress fabrics you used for the photos on your instructions.

themidnightmagnoliaboutique said...

It's really very nice and fantastic post thanks for sharing this with us. College Gameday Clothing and Lots of new cute game day dresses to wear for all those tailgate and gameday events!

Thanks,
Midnight Magnolia Boutique

مجد مصر said...

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