Jalie 3352 dolman tee experiments

 My friend Tessa loves this top and finally I couldn't resist any longer. I have this amazing, soft, alpaca knit and wanted to make a tee that wouldn't mess with the fabric too much.  Tessa is long waisted and she doesn't need to lengthen this top - with that intel I went for size R, my size by the measurements table, and I only shortened it about 1" as visually it didn't look that long.  Easy to put together and it didn't require handling the alpaca too much, which was good - it definitely was as curly and annoying as merino, but even lighter weight so harder to feel under my fingers!

Because Tessa only makes the tshirt, I hadn't considered a long sleeve version until I was actually making this, and then I was for some reason immediately inspired to use some leftover fleece to try out it out.  It came out pretty crappy and went straight to the op shop.  Needs more stretch than the fleece had, and the super stretchy bindings just didn't go with it very well.

Thought I didn't love the tee because it feels a bit long (high-low tees can be hit or miss on me since the back is too long but the front shows too much, ugh, being short waisted), but then I wore it to bed...and every evening, and months passed and honestly it was two months before it even got into the washing machine because I just kept wearing it to lounge in.  (It has since been washed!)  So I guess it's a win.  And then I thought it would be an interesting pattern to turn on the bias and use for woven fabrics (like those silk scraps I can't quite allocate to a project).  I got all excited about that and then realised I should leave it for summer!  I do think I'll make this again as a standard knit too, but I'll crop 1.5" off the bottom or even out the high-low hem a bit - anyway definitely a fun easy pattern to come back to and play with a bit.  I can see some sleeve action in my future too, but obv not with weird thick fabrics...

Misusu shift tee review

I was in full tshirt mode when this pattern came out and I was also still so enthusiastic about my Dia sweaters that I bought this right away. 

Because I hadn't sorted out my recent print shop issues, I printed this at home. Be warned: 75+ pages and many of them are blank.  I appreciate inclusive sizing but I am waiting for it to be improved on with multiple nesting options on pdfs, so that you have the option to choose a nest of limited sizes and print fewer pages.  However this pattern does list what pages you need for each option (long or short sleeves of the two different views) so you can limit extra pages if you pay attention. 

I made size BB. 

Because my fabrics are scraps and all are rayon and quite drapey, I made version A because I didn't want to do to much hemming with my sewing machine.

View B with the shaped hem will benefit from a firm jersey so that it can handle the sewing machine stitching instead of overlocking or coverstitching the hem. 

Between buying the pattern and making it I kind of lost interest - maybe I've finally just gotten done with tshirts for awhile?  (Is that possible??)  It really didn't help, the 75 pages to tape together.  In fact when I finally did it and cut out the top and made it I was suprised how simple it is.  I like the ingenious way of making a raglan top and the fit is fine.  I shortened it by 1" because my spotted fabric wouldn't fit unless I did that, and I cut the cropped version.  Note it's not very short or cropped on me...  

I like it more than I expected but my enthusiasm is still low.  I think this pattern will deserve another look when I have some firm jersey and want to try the split hem option, because that's really very cute and original.  

Made more tshirts: French Navy Stellan vs Pattern Fantastique Equinox

First pattern is the free Stellan tee by French Navy now.  I made the XS, for once cleverly not sizing down.  I thought it was more important in this top to have a good fit around the hips, and sizing up a bit would keep the drop shoulder despite my wider shoulders.  I'm happy with the fit.

I had, however, lower expectations of this tee (compared to the Equinox) because of the fit on other people.  I thought it might look sloppy.  The fabric is a modal blend with merino from the fabric store which I chose specifically to maximise the drape and minimise said potential sloppiness.  I shortened the sleeve 1.5" as it's frequently commented on how nice and long it is (no comment) but made no other adjustments.  I didn't do the back neck reinforcement because I was lazy and also impatient to make my tees!  This is a free pattern, but it comes with a pattern piece for the back neck, as well as instructions for the reinforcement - very amazing for a free pattern.  I will have to actually try that out sometime.  (Soon! I am getting tired of the overlocked mess at the back.) 

 

When I took my pictures I see drag lines from the front shoulders to the underarms.  I think to some degree that happens any time there's a dropped shoulder, and the fix is to either make a larger size or modify the armscye.  I however don't feel it and I love the fit of this - it feels like a RTW fitting tee.  In a good way.  

So I'm not fussed and I made another one with no modifications except to add a pocket.  Which I put in a weird place and which is *not even straight*. sigh.  Plus this fabric, which is a light cotton jersey by Marc Jacobs - got it from The Fabric Store in Dunedin - is patterned at an angle to the grain, and was really hard to fold on grain, so I gave up.  This tshirt caused a surprising amount of drama, mainly because I adore this fabric.  And yes, I get that you cannot see the pocket at all.  It's there.  At an angle.

The next half of this particular binge is the Equinox tee by Pattern Fantastique.  I expected something novel from them because I have made the Falda coat and their stuff is very interesting and edgy.  I made the size 8 to start out with.  - I also bought the whole tshirt set of 3 shirts, so when I'm ready for another tshirt binge I'll already have some fodder.

This pattern is not printed on the fold so first off it's a lot of pages.  Not much wastage though. There is a weird thing with the seam allowances going on which I finally just cut off. The neck band is not actually the correct length, you have to cut it to measure.  This is *not* a free pattern so that seems like laziness.  I used merino from the fabric store which rolled up to the limits of my patience, and I measured the band for the neck and cut the pattern piece to measure so I won't have to keep doing it - I figured merino is the least stretchy thing I use, and so although I'll have to measure the band each time, at least I save the 5" of fabric.  The rolled edges drove me crazy but luckily a tshirt is a simple thing and even traumatic seaming doesn't last too long.  This looked really shapeless while I was making it but also turned out great.  

 

I decided though that it might be even nicer smaller and luckily the pattern was nested directly one inside the next so I cut down to a 6 and made version 2. It's organic cotton by Lillestoff and I got it from Ansje Handmade.  I also shortened the body by 1".  It's possible I cut the neck band a bit shorter, and it's not just possible, but certain that that was too short.  It gathers up a bit.  Hopefully time will loosen the fabric and settle it.  Too tight, regarding neckbands, is probably better than the annoying sticky-up of too loose neckbands. 

This fit is better and is what I'll do in the future when I make this tee again.  (With tshirts it's always when...not if...)

I spent all week crazed looking forward to my tshirt binge!  I have one more pattern to go but it will get its own post as it's a bit more complicated and I'm anticipating having Many Thoughts and I'm tired of tshirts and am going to make something else first.

Forget me not patterns iris tee review

 Being a connoisseur of tshirts, I couldn't let this one slip past me once I'd noticed it.  

I printed the A4s, you can use layers, which was nice. There were an average number of empty sheets.  I did get annoyed that every single pattern piece seemed to barely cross onto an almost blank sheet which leads to lots of small floppy bits when you are using the taped together piece.  The pdf instructions are crosswise - landscape style in the pdf which drives me crazy, but for a tshirt I only needed them to instruct me on the sleeve pleats so I didn't need to scan around through the pdf.  The instructions are neatly laid out with good drawings, so that's a star for this pattern company.

I made this in size 32 which was just a tiny bit smaller than my measurements, but the final measurements of the top convinced me it would be the best fit. For the first version I decided despite having never done so before, that I should size up the sleeve. I cut the sleeve and armscye of 34.  Sigh.  It's fine.  But that was really unnecessary.  There's added puffiness in the sleeve and it is a bit loose.  It ends up that those pleats add a lot of space to the sleeve.  

On the pleats: no matter how many times I made them I ended up with an uneven bottom edge.  On all 4.  I cut it even which then leads to a tiny rise in the sleeve at that point.  Maybe this is why there's a sleeve binding!  I also on principle don't like unfinished edges floating around in my makes, and the unfinished bottom pleat edge can't really be finished in any way.  The SA is 1/4" which is nice for waste reduction but again - on an item that you need to be able to manipulate to create a new feature, you lose flexibility with that. Also, how do you stabilise the shoulders when the SA is 1/4"?  I have run out of seam tape but my seam tape was definitely just under 3/8" so I prefer that.  The pleats make the sleeves more roomy.  I was sort of musing on that and on drafting of sleeves when you are adding volume - but the no-pleat sleeve is nicely drafted, so whether there are possible improvements to the sleeve with the pleats is a question far beyond my expertise.

Version one is hemp jersey from Blackbird fabrics.  It's a bit thick and spongey feeling and has a lot of stretch.

Version 2, I reprinted the sleeve and went to a straight size 32. This fabric is from Mood, and it's a lightweight, almost shiny cotton (blend?) jersey.  Maybe there's some silk or rayon in it.  It's thinner with an average amount of stretch. 

 

The fit of that was so convincingly amazing that I made a plain tee as well.  I added a pocket which I think I put a bit too low oops. I avoided the hem on the sleeves by cutting the sleeves on the fold so they are double thickness.  This fabric is also from Mood, it's the jersey half of what was supposed to be jersey lined rainwear nylon.  The two separated in the wash and I used the nylon on another project.  I love this top!  I think I've found something just about as perfect as the Renfrew for a simple, fitted tshirt.  

 

So after I made these, I wondered if the pleats would drive me crazy. I've been wearing these tops to work and I don't notice them at all.  They stop looking quite so orderly and cute - they puff out a bit and the area above the pleats just billows, so I guess I'm a bit lukewarm as to whether I like them, but I definitely like all three of the tops and the basic tee fit is stellar - so that counts as success.  I think maybe the longer sleeved shirt with the pleat would be quite nice as if it did puff out it would be bracelet length, but I don't need anything like that in my wardrobe so I didn't try it.

Elbe Textiles Staley top, variations & review

I bought this pattern awhile ago and had an idea that it was a heavy sweatshirt pattern, which it is not.  I liked it ok but didn't feel much imperative to sew it.  I even printed it out and set it on my pile of to-do-soon but it didn't make the cut for my tshirt binge a few months ago.  (Too many pages, ugh, pdf patterns.) 

Like many patterns now, with so many sizes nested you will invariably have a lot of paper wastage if you cut a small size.  I don't see a great way to fix this, as everyone benefits from a few nested sizes in order to have flexibility - so clumping sizes in units of a few sizes (like Style Arc does) would solve the problem a bit, but would make people sad who are on the limit of one nest unit.

I cut a B.  I initially made view A with no changes, and view B with 3" shortening.  I shortened 1" at the upper lines, and 2" at the lower lines.  I am 5'4".

View A is in a stretchy and ridiculous gold lame stuff from Emma one Sock (still available!) It was fabric meant for a dress, but the dress pattern was from an op shop and it didn't contain all the pieces.  Also very sadly my life doesn't really have a need for gold dresses.  The fabric has a great drape and was easy to work with.  I did actually read the instructions before I made this, and the interesting prep for the side slits is fun and novel.  When I got to application of the hems, I was suspicious.  You do a lot of things that seem like they belong to woven fabrics.  Worth the effort?? Sewing in the ditch? Gahhhhh.  I mostly did what it said for the front to test out the clean finish, but I didn't sew in the ditch.  On the back hem I ditched the effort and, after sewing the sides of my binding and flipping it right side out, I just overlocked it to the hem.  The disadvantage: overlocker ears on the edges.  The advantage: fast and easy.  It's in the back, so I don't notice it, and thought that seems totally worth it compared to the drama of trying to sew knits in the ditch.  

 

View B: hm very short oops.  In a linen knit which is a bit sticky to work with but has a good drape.

  

I loved these immediately and wore them immediately and so I set forth to make a second set. 

View A: flowers from Guthrie & Ghani that I loved enough to pay the postage. It is a tencel rayon sort of knit, very drapey.  It has since sold out. And in fact I bought it planning to make this very top.  This time 1" shortening.  I shortened the sleeves 1" as well, they are very very long otherwise.  I used the quick and dirty hem method and now I am a bit contrite.  You know, that clean finish?  Maybe worth it.  Overlocker ears?  A bit annoying.  Ok you choose.  

 

View B: stripey stuff from Miss Maude.  This time only shortened 1", at the upper line.  I think this is a good compromise length on both of them. Maybe I'll shorten the tee one more inch, but I think on view A I'm happy. The side slits make view A more flexible too so even the long version doesn't seem long. 

 I also read the instructions for view B this time and did my hem coverstitching before I sewed the sides together.  I am still not really comfortable with the coverstitch machine, and doing all the pieces on the flat definitely is easier than stitching in the round.  I guess reading the instructions can be good that way...

Taking photos at 6 am = very good light.  Also in evidence, my dubious new/secondhand jeans from R13.  I have strange strange obsessions and R13 is one of them, but this particular pair seem to be too big.  Lesson learned...I'm about to copy an R13 jacket and one of their silk dress designs. 

I am really happy with this pattern, and it's nice to discover a new tshirt pattern I'm so enthusiastic about.  It has some of the nice features of the Briar, a good fit, two interesting options...I will probably finally commit and use this pattern for some designer fabric I've been hoarding.  Probably.