How to make a raglan t-shirt (adult)

1. Materials & tools

Materials (men's M)

• Main fabric (jersey or interlock) — about 150 cm wide × 150 cm (59 × 59 in)
• Optional: contrast knit for the sleeves
• Ribbing for the neckline — about 60 cm (24 in)
• Ballpoint machine needle and stretch thread

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Raglan T-shirt (adult)” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter bust, length, raglan seam length, sleeve length, cuff width, neck width and ease. Presets cover women's M, men's M/L and a relaxed fit.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the front, back and raglan sleeves. Mark the notches on the raglan seams — they are what keeps front and back level.
2. Cut
   Cut one front and one back on the fold, plus two sleeves.
3. Finish the edges
   Serge or zigzag the raglan and side allowances.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the raglan seams

1. Pin the front edge of one sleeve to the front raglan edge, matching the notches, and sew.
2. Sew the back edge of the same sleeve to the back. Repeat for the other sleeve.
3. All four raglan seams are slightly curved. Match the notches first and the curves fall into place.

4-2. Sides and underarms

1. Sew from the cuff along the underarm and down the side in one continuous line on each side.

4-3. Attach the neckband

1. Sew the ribbing into a loop and fold it in half lengthwise.
2. Pin it to the neckline in quarters and sew, stretching the ribbing to fit as you go.
3. Cut the ribbing to about 85% of the neckline length — any longer and the neck gapes.

4-4. Cuffs and hem

1. Turn the cuffs and hem under and finish with a stretch stitch.

✏️ The four raglan seams are the whole garment, so the notches matter more here than anywhere else. Pin notch to notch first, then fill in between — starting at one end guarantees you run out of fabric at the other.

5. Tips & variations

• Contrast sleeves: the classic baseball tee. It costs nothing extra and transforms the look.
• Easier than a set-in sleeve: no easing, no sleeve cap. If set-in sleeves have put you off, start here.
• Three-quarter sleeves: a shorter sleeve length gives the classic raglan proportions.