---
title: "Shelly: FreeSewing's Shelly Shirt"
sidebar_label: Shelly Shirt
---
<DesignInfo design="shelly" />
## Designer Notes {#notes}
Shelly is my first design. It was born out of the need for shirts that can
compress very tight (for sensory needs stemming from autism), and the lack of
suitable ready made shirts. Undersized swim shirts are tight enough, but expose
the belly and pinch in the armpits, so I set out to design a shirt that would
be both comfortable and therapeutic.
Raglan sleeves are used to provide additional flexibility and mobility in the
armpit, and are very important for very tight clothes.
That said, Shelly is a simple and versatile design capable of making knit tops
over a wide range of eases, from tightly compressive compression shirts, to
loose raglan tees. It makes a great first knit garment project, as it only uses
five pieces of fabric cut from four pattern pieces, and features simple seams
that can be entirely made with a serger/overlocker. It's also fairly tolerant
of small errors in measuring/cutting/sewing due to the elastic nature of knits,
especially swim fabric, and the lack of any fine features requiring too much
attention to detail on Shelly.
The name is chosen because I like the beach and I like seashells.
Thrunic
## What You Need {#needs}
To make Shelly, you will need the following:
- Basic sewing supplies
- Between 0.5 - 2 meters (0.6 - 2.2 yards) of a suitable fabric, depending on
size and style ([see Fabric options](#fabric))
- A kids' short-sleeve rash guard can probably be made with 0.5 meters with
fabric left over.
- A looser-fitting long-sleeved swim shirt or t-shirt for a tall adult will
take closer to 2 meters.
- Two different colors or prints of fabric can be used (one for the sleeves,
one for the bodice).
- (Optional) Ribbing fabric for the neck, if using less stretchy fabric.
- (Optional) Contrasting color thread, if making exposed seams.
## Fabric Options {#fabric}
This pattern is designed to work with stretch/knit fabrics, particularly
spandex.
For swim shirts, rash guards, compression shirts, athletic shirts, and other
performance-oriented shirts, four-way stretch fabric is strongly recommended.
For more casual raglan t-shirts, two-way stretch jersey should work fine.
For compression clothes and swimwear, a 20:80 ratio of nylon/polyester to
spandex/elastane is recommended. More elastic fabrics allow for greater
negative ease, will give better mobility, and will be more forgiving to
measurement/design errors.
The raglan sleeves lend themselves well to using different colors/prints for
the body and for the sleeves.
With swim fabric/spandex, it is recommended to make the neckband out of the
same material used for the shirt. For less stretchy fabric, such as cotton
jersey knit, ribbing is recommended.
## Cutting Instructions {#cutting}
- Cut **1 front** part on the fold
- Cut **1 back** part on the fold
- Cut **2 sleeve** parts
- Cut **1 neckband** part on the fold
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