A good, well-fitting tee is a wardrobe basic. I think I have found the perfect one – the Magnolia Tee by Sonia Estep Designs. Here is a sewing pattern review.

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Everyone needs a good tee. I’m not talking about a regular sports t-shirt that’s boxy and made out of that stiff cotton. I’m talking about a nice tee that can be dressed up or down.

The Magnolia Tee by Sonia Estep Designs is exactly that. It has a flattering scoop neckline, choice of 2 hems (curved or straight) and 3 sleeve lengths (short, 3/4 or long). It’s not boxy. It tapers in slightly at the waist to give a flattering shape and slim-fitting look.

To make this pattern even better, it’s FREE. You just need to join Sonia Estep Designs Facebook group to get the coupon code. It is located in the comments of the welcome announcement.

Magnolia Tee – Sewing Pattern Review

This is an easy pattern to sew. There are 4 basic pattern pieces – front bodice, back bodice, sleeve and neck binding. So it’s quite easy to put together.

The directions are clear and easy to follow. It follows the basic structure of garment construction.

sew front and back bodice together at shoulder seams
sew on sleeves
sew sleeves together and down the side seams
attach neck binding
hem sleeves and bottom edge

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Types of Fabrics to Use

You can use a variety of fabrics to make the Magnolia Tee. It all depends on the look you want. Here are some suggestions.

cupro
rayon spandex
double brushed or single brushed polyester (DBP or SBP)
french terry
modal viscose cotton
cotton bamboo

Dress Pattern Hack

I love the cut of this tee so much that I decided to extend it into a dress.

To do this, I simply cut the pattern at the bottom – just before the curved hem and then extended it to the length I wanted. Then I reattached the curved hem. I also softened the curve slightly so that it was not as pronounced. I let it flare out slightly at the bottom (as opposed to letting it go straight down like a column) as I find that flattering on a body that lacks shape.

I made this cute dress out of some white and black buffalo plaid. One of the perks of being petite is that it only took 1 yard of fabric!

magnolia tee dress — Fabric: Double Brushed Polyester from So Sew English

I even paired it with a cowl neckline to make the perfect little sweater dress. Read all about that in my post on how to sew the perfect sweater dress.

The Magnolia Tee is a great wardrobe staple. The fact that it’s free is an added bonus. It comes together easily and can be easily hacked into a dress. I think I need to make more dresses – perhaps french terry next?