Everyone has different preferences when it comes to fit, but sometimes there’s nothing quite like a swingy top or dress to make you feel comfortable and carefree! You might think you need to buy a specific swing pattern, but in fact if you already have a t-shirt pattern that fits you well through the shoulders and bust, it’s easy to hack it into a swing style.
As inspiration, we have Gabi in a gorgeous swing dress, Tanesha rocking the monochrome, and our very own Mary in her hacked swing maternity t-shirt.
I’ll be demonstrating today on the Cashmerette Concord T-Shirt (my pattern company), but it will work equally well with any classic t-shirt pattern. If you want it to be a dress, simply lengthen first (at the lengthen/shorten line) and then do the adjustment.
- Draw a horizontal line across the front piece – it’s up to you where you place it, depending on if you want the fullness to start above, on or below your bust. Then, draw four evenly spaced vertical lines down from the horizontal line to the hem.
2. Cut along the horizontal line, starting at the center front and ending just before the side seam, leaving a little hinge.
3. Cut up each of the vertical lines, again leaving a little hinge at the top of each one. Now, spread the pieces out evently, keeping the center front vertical. You can spread as much as you’d like! The pieces will naturally push downwards as you do this – that’s Ok.
4. Re-draw the center front line, smooth out the hem, and smooth out the side seam.
5. Place some tracing paper over your altered piece and trace.
6. Voila! Repeat the same steps with the back piece, and then sew as usual.
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You gals are amazing! Thanks so much for all the pattern hacks!
THIS IS SO CUTE. And it looks rather straight forward and easy with the great directions. Can’t wait to try this one.
This is fantastic! I have tried just tracing t-shirts and adding length and they always look so dumpy as dresses. I am going to make up a swing dress based on this tutorial in some awesome paper airplane print knit that I have stashed away!
Thank You this was so helpful! Is there a direct link to Gabi’s beautiful dress? I clicked your link and it went to her home page, I didn’t see it? My daughter would LOVE a dress like that! :o)
Eliz~, if you go to the Gabi site and put “swing dress” into the search bar, you’ll find the dress. It’s actually not
home sewn or hacked, it’s a maternity dress from ASOS. It’s a gorgeous dress and I’m sure it would be easy using the instructions here from a T-shirt pattern.
Thank You!
this is awesome thanks! I have actually had that pic of Gabi on my “ideas for sewing” pinterest board for ages wanting to recreate the look somehow. My TNT plantain is about to be put into service to try this out asap I think!
Really cool alteration. I especially like the part about not having too much fabric above the bust. Will be trying it.
This is life changing! Seriously, I can’t wait to do this!
Thank you! This is a really clear and useful post that I’ll definitely try!
Thanks Jenny! You always have the most incredibly simple-to-do yet brilliant suggestions -I’m definitely going to do this. Love your Concord pattern for its fit across the shoulders, bust and arms so it does make for a great pattern to “hack” into something quite different. Your Springfield is the same – did I say how MUCH I love this pattern?! It was my single most worn garment of the summer!
My dad passed away 7 weeks ago. My favorite thing to sleep in is one of his soft shirts. Just this morning as I was walking around my house, I was thinking, how could I add fabric to this to make it more “swingy and longer” And then, here is your blog post. I’ll keep you posted on what I come up with. Thanks for a bit of morning inspiration. 🙂 PS I’ll need to do something like this hack for my daughter Molly, she looks so sweet in swing dresses and has one that I particularly love.