I’m back with another fun pattern hack to share with you! This Jackson Tee dress is such a simple and effective way to get even more out of our everyday Jackson Tee pattern. You could even lengthen the Jackson Pullover view to a tunic or dress, too!
How to Lengthen the Jackson Tee to a Dress
This pattern hack is perfect for beginners out there. You simply need to cut at the lengthen and shorten lines and add the amount you wish to extend the pattern by. You will need extra fabric to make this hack—add an extra half meter or yard for sizes 0-14 and an extra meter or yard for sizes 16-34. If you want to lengthen it longer than shown here, add more.
I opted for a finished length of 41″ (104 cm) for this Jackson Tee dress. You can measure this by holding the measuring tape up at your shoulder and letting it hang down. Don’t forget to add your shoulder seam allowance and your hem allowance! If in doubt, make it a bit longer and you can always hem it shorter.
I extended this Jackson Tee following the slight angle of the side seam. You can increase this angle if your hips fall into a larger size or if you want more room around the hips. Measure the pattern around the hip area and multiply it by four to figure out approximately how much room you have there.
Once you have made your length adjustment, you sew the Jackson Tee as usual! It’s a super quick sew and you’ll have a new t-shirt dress in no time! If you want to add pockets, you can totally do so. I would suggest two knit patch pockets on the dress front. You can sew these on using a straight stitch. If lengthening the pullover view, you could add a kangaroo pocket!
This dress will get a lot of wear in the warmer months but I think it will be a favourite in the fall and winter, too. I can see it layered over leggings and paired with a cozy flannel shirt. This hack would also make the perfect night shirt! I made this version using a 100% cotton jersey from Blackbird Fabrics.
If you want to take this hack one step further, you could lengthen the pattern into a long dress and add a waist tie or waist elastic. You may want to add side slits or increase the A-line shape to ensure you are able to walk comfortably!
I hope you enjoyed checking out this Jackson Tee hack. I hope you try it! I know I’ll be reaching for this one a lot this summer.
About the author
10 Comments on “Jackson Tee Dress”
Hi Helen,
Thank you so much for the Jackson Tee hack. It’s so useful for me. I will definitely make this Jackson tee dress.
Thanks Lily!
I have made about 4 Jackson Tees for me and my husband. I am trying the dress hack now and I am not a confident pattern hacker. If I increase tge angle on the side seam should I do it to both the front and back pattern pieces? thanks.
Hi Pam,
Yes, you want to do the angle adjustment on both pieces if you want a more a-line shape. You got this!
Thanks! I made my wearable muslin Jackson dress hack and it worked great. I think this is my 6th Jackson. Great pattern and great instructions.
Love this hack! I’ve been thinking about making a dress from the pullover view. If I did how would I deal with the bottom cuff? Add the same amount of width that was added to the body pieces to accommodate the hips? I’d like it to gather in slightly at the bottom but not so much that it’s tight on my legs…if that makes sense. Just want to make sure there’s no special math I’d have to do to that piece!
Hi Abby,
That is a great idea! No special math is needed, but you might want to add a little width to the bottom band as you suggested. It really depends on the fabric and your personal preference so I might cut it longer and then baste it on to see how it looks before sewing it in. Gillian from Crafting a Rainbow made a dress version of the pullover here: https://craftingarainbow.com/2022/02/04/sweatshirts-galore/
How would you increase the A-line shape? Do you have a pattern hack on that?
I would suggest the slash and spread method, like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SMkdy_iap0&t=274s&ab_channel=Seamwork
I just made this with a kangaroo pocket. Thanks for the hack ideas!