Sew an Off-The-Shoulder Shirt for Any Occasion

Lisa Miller-Mecham
by Lisa Miller-Mecham
6 Materials
$15
2 Hours
Easy


Turn a regular shirt into something more interesting. Because, why not? An off-the-shoulder shirt gives your outfit a little more edge for most occasions, depending on what type of fabric you choose, of course. I love how the sleeves drape off the shoulder, and I just love that it is not a complicated DIY project! This easy off-the-shoulder shirt is super friendly for beginners, too. The pattern is simple to follow. You can get the pattern I used by following the link here. Right, let’s get to it!

Tools and materials:

  • Pattern found here
  • Fabric of choice
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Bias tape
  • Scissors
Make an off-the-shoulder shirt

Print your pattern.

Use your home printer and print the pattern provided here. You need one bodice piece and one sleeve piece.

Sew an off-the-shoulder shirt

Cut the fabric 

Lay your fabric out on the table, and fold one side up, just enough to hold both patterns. Make sure the fabric is right side together. Place the patterns on the fold line so you end up with symmetrical pieces. Cut the pattern carefully.

How to make an off-the-shoulder shirt

When you’re done, flip your fabric over and repeat the process on the other side. You should have two bodice and sleeve pieces to put together.

How to sew an off-the-shoulder shirt

Mark your pattern

Before you get into the fun sewing part, mark your pattern. Mark the sleeve insert line, the stitch line, and the hemline on every pattern piece.

Easy off-the-shoulder shirt

Hem your edges

Go ahead and hem your edges now. Why? Because it’s easier to hem a straight line than a curved line. So it’s best to get this art finished first before you sew any further. Use a seam gauge to measure a one-inch hem, iron, and pin into place. Use a twin needle to top-stitch the right side, and iron again to set your stitches. Repeat on the long edge of both sleeve pattern pieces, as well as the bodice’s front and back parts.

Casual off-the-shoulder shirt

Sew your sleeves

Fold your sleeves in half, right sides together, and sew. Repeat on your other sleeve and set aside.

Off-the-shoulder shirt pattern

Sew the bodice

Lay your bodice, right sides together. Pin these in place along the side and shoulder seams and sew. Leave the neck and sleeve openings untouched.


TIP-

If your fabric is slippery like mine, be sure to add more pins, so it sits in place. If you are sewing a kind of fabric that frays easily, remember to finish off each seam as you sew.

Attach the sleeves

Sew on the sleeves

Take your sleeves, find the seam line on the opposite edges, and spread the fabric with your fingers. Mark that edge with a pin.

Insert the sleeves

Insert your sleeve from the bottom of your shirt, right sides together. Line up the seam of your shirt with the side seam of the sleeve and pin together. Then, pin the opposite edge of your sleeve, the side that you just marked with the pin, so the shoulder seam of your bodice. Work your way around the circumference of your sleeve, pinning every few inches to hold it in place.

Sew the sleeves

Next, sew each sleeve piece.

Pin the bias binding

Add bias binding

Your shirt is almost finished! This is the last step, and that’s to add bias binding to your neckline. In this tutorial, we will use half-inch, single fold bias tape. Open your bias binding and place the top edge on top of the raw edge of the fabric. The right sides should be together. Pin all the way around your neckline, making sure you have half an inch of seam allowance on your tape so you can sew the binding to the off-the-shoulder shirt.

Sew the binding

Sew your binding tape to your shirt using a straight stitch inside the crease of your bias tape. Make sure to stitch your bias tape ends together with a straight stitch, too. Trim off any excess.

Make notches on the binding

Add some notches ( tiny cuts) in the seam allowance and bias tape so that the neckline curves and doesn’t hold stiff.

Encase the bias tape

Once your notches are done, fold your seam allowance to encase the neckline’s edge and sew.

Beautiful off-the-shoulder shirt


And you’re done! You get to try on your shirt! How amazing does it look? It should drape really nicely and elegantly. This off-the-shoulder shirt is impressive in so many ways, and now you have one to add to your haul. I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. Until next time, happy sewing!

Suggested materials:
  • Pattern   (https://modernsewingpatterns.com/collections/clothing/products/off-sho)
  • Fabric
  • Pins
See all materials

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