I’m a pretty selfish sewist. My time is limited, and I prefer to spend the vast majority of my sewing time making garments for myself! In the past, I’ve sewn an item or two for my husband and a couple of things for my sister and my sister-in-law. However, since our tiny girl arrived, I’ve really enjoyed sewing a little something up for her every now and then, especially when it means that we can twin. My husband recently lamented that while I’ve taken advantage of mama / mini twinning, he has yet to have the pleasure of matching with her. I’d already planned out matching dresses for Monkey and I to wear for her birthday, so I decided I’d do something nice and add a daddy piece into the mix.
Ellie & Mac happens to be promoting a “Sew for the One you Love” campaign at the moment, which was absolute perfect timing. I chose the Men’s Basic Tee, and got to work. Although our mama / mini dresses will involve a lot of print and pattern, I didn’t think that all that print would quite match my man’s aesthetic. We decided that I would add in a touch of print, but focus more on a solid that would match our outfits while also being usable in his wardrobe. I wanted his garment to feel a little more elevated than a standard tee, and I planned to achieve this by choosing a fantastic fabric for the main. I opted for this great Designer Cupro Modal Jersey from StyleMaker Fabrics, and let him choose the color – luckily, the entire color palette offered in this fabric would have been a lovely match.
This fabric is wonderful. I refrained from telling my guy how much I loved it, so he could form his own opinions on the matter, and he ended up feeling just as impressed as I was. It has a cold hand and a lovely drape on the right side, and has a brushed wrong side that makes it so incredibly soft against the skin. You could have some fun playing with the textures of the opposite sides of this fabric by using the wrong side for a neck band or cuffs, as an added dimensional detail! We chose to keep the “right” side as the outer throughout. The fabric held up fabulous to a day out at the Arboretum Botanical Gardens in 80degree heat, and still looked just as great at the end of the day as at the beginning!
To tie his tee in with our matching outfits, I drafted a quick pocket to add to the front. I did this by checking out the dimensions of the pockets on a tee already in his wardrobe, drawing out the shape and adding 5’8” seam allowances throughout. I guessed at the placement with the finished tee on my mannequin, Eileen, and luckily (despite the fact that her bust and waist measurements vary from his a good deal!) it all turned out quite well! I love the addition of the bold pocket, and this was such a simple little modification. I saved my drafted pocket piece in with the other pattern pieces so that I can add this detail again in the future! To make sure the pocket looked great and didn’t get wavy or wobbly when sewn on, I used heat n’ bond along all edges to turn the hem edges under and add some stability before pinning and sewing into place.
Aside from the pocket, I made no other modifications to the pattern. My husband is a solid 6’0”, and his measurements put him between a medium and a large per the pattern sizing. I went with a medium, knowing that he prefers a slimmer fit, and the size seems perfect for his taste. Although the pattern is drafted to a height of 5’10”, I didn’t add any extra length with this version. I may add a little in the future and play around with hem shapes (he loves a cool curved hem detail), but for a standard folded under bottom hem, this length was actually fantastic.
I’m so happy with this make! I may even be inspired to make him something else again in the future… I’m thinking a set of matching Christmas jammies for the three of us might be in store next??
Stay tuned over the weekend to see a full view of our matching outfits worn together! In the meantime, I’d love if you would check out this pattern (or any of the products I used to make it!) via the affiliate links I’ve provided below. If sewing a men’s tee isn’t for you (it’s okay, it’s not for me either 80% of the time!), Ellie and Mac have some other great patterns for men, women, and children – you can search the Ellie and Mac tag here on the blog for a sample of a few things that I’ve made!
Dress: handmade by me
Pattern: Ellie & Mac – Men’s Basic Tee
Fabric: StyleMaker Fabrics – Designer Cupro Modal Jersey in Ocean
Pocket Fabric: Joann Fabric – Silky Print Textured Fabric – Multi Butterfly
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker / Serger
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Though the pattern used in this post was generously provided to me by the awesome team at Ellie & Mac, all words and opinions expressed are my own, as always! Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
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