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1. 

   

   take a large button-down (from your boyfriend or buy one in your local thrift store)
   if you want it to be dresslike in the length, you need at least XXL or more!

2. 

   

   detach the pocket with your seamripper




3. 

   

   cut off both sleeves at the seams (you can use the seamripper, too, but cutting is faster ;-) )

4. 

   

   turn your shirt inside out, put it on your dressform (or yourself, but I recommend the dressform!) and use the pinch and pin method to make it fit you.
   
   Since I had a checkered shirt I followed the pattern and pinched alle the red lines near the buttons and in the back, that created a nice effect




5. 

   

   I ended up with 8 rows in the front and 8 in the back...this is very time consuming so put on some good music

6. 

   

   Since all the rows I pinned are straight, I had to shape my figure in pinning the side seams, but you mustn't take more than 4cm (1.6")away at each side, cause the pattern doesn't work anymore if you do and your seams will be all crumpled up! I speak from experience -.-

7. 

   

   Before you sew, you should try the shirt on to be sure yo have left enough ease, that it fits you but that you can still move in it with the buttons closed.
   
   Now sew all your rows and seams, this is as well a bit time consuming

8. 

   

   Put it on you or your dressform again and if necessary put in some darts in the front and/ or the back (to do this turn it inside out and again pinch and pin in the areas still crumpling )
   
   see how cool it looks, with the red lines all gone?

9. 

   

   that's what it should look like in the back (the yellow marking is again for the darts for a nicer fit)

10. 

    

    mark where your shoulders end (by me it is about 10cm (4") from the collar)

11. 

    

    mark and cut your armhole, don't forget seam allowance

12. 

    

    now to the sleeves, I got as pattern (Lydia from Burdastyle), you can either draft one yourself or search for it on burdastyle or other sewing communities or just take a good fitting shirt and take it apart to use it as pattern...but in all cases I recommend to make the sleeves as wide as the original one (yellow line). either you get puffed sleeves with a lost of ease to fit you or you just pin it in the armhole and cut away the leftover fabric in the end...if you cut it too short now, you'll regret it later!
    
    anyway, lay the pattern down on your existing sleeve and cut (don't forget seam allowance)
    
    For the blue button-up dress I just took the old sleeves and put them on my arms, I pulled them up as far as they would get with the cuffs closed, then I marked the point where my shoulder began and cut them large enough to make them puffy (blue line)

13. 

    

    attach the sleeves to your shirt

14. 

    

    in the process I decided to alter my design. At first I wanted a more T-Shirt like look with short sleeves, hut I cut mine too tight and made them finally into really short sleeves ^^(left side)
    
    I hemmed them with the role hem of my serger. If you don't have a serger, turn the hem inside (about 1,5cm (5/8") and use a straight stitch)
    
    again check whether you need darts to make the shirt more fitted

15. 

    

    If you're satisfied with how the shirt looks, get the pocket and attach it wherever you want it to go, if you have a checkered shirt like me, be careful to match the stripes or do it deliberately against the pattern to make it look more dynamic

16. 

    

    That's it, cut off some leftover threads...

17. 

    

    ...and be proud ^^

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