Success!

Apparently it's the fourth time that's the charm. I now have a T-shirt Master Pattern.

On the last (4th!) attempt, I took in the side-seams 1/4" then shaped them. The revised garment is flattering. Which is not the same as saying I love it.

In all honesty, I prefer my t-shirts more fitted. It's the inner 20-yr-old in me. Like my inner child, my inner sexy babe refuses to acknowledge the passing of time. Too bad my waistline doesn't.... 

Back to the newest t-shirt pattern. There's no more shaping to be had. The side-seams are as shapely as they're ever going to be. The only way I'm going to accomplish a closer fit is by:
a) going tighter (negative ease forces the material to curve to the body)
b) putting in a shaped centre back-seam
c) losing 20 lbs

The problem with:
a) it shows my lumps and bumps
b) it's the extra work plus the non-conventional look (although Banana Republic has done it)
c) - hahaha!

I may add that back-seam on special shirts, otherwise this is it.

The good news is the shoulder-seams sit where I want them, as do the armscye-seams. The sleeves are fitted, which I prefer. Loose sleeves add visual weight to the body and I have enough width without adding extra via floppy sleeves. A tiny bit of negative space between the sleeve and torso is much more flattering. Plus fitted sleeves stay pushed up better.

I owe this post some photos. All my new shirts are in the laundry basket. (I wanted to field test the last one before declaring the pattern a success.)

Pattern: Bianca Sweater from Loes Hinse
Alterations: 1) Moved shoulder seam forward 5/8" at armscye for forward round shoulder. 2) Took in and reshaped the side-seams. This pattern is designed with small tucks on the front, so I removed them at the same time. 3) Lengthened the body by 2". 4) Widened the back bodice armscye 3/8" for my prominent shoulder blades (aka angel wings).
Result: Well pleased with this version. It's my new T-shirt Master Pattern.

Love at First Sight?

Not love. Interested, maybe, as in the uncommitted but definitely intrigued level of enthusiasm. While the other t-shirt patterns in my stash are in no immediate danger of being tossed, they're probably quivering in their paper envelopes a little.

The body of the latest garment was baggy, especially in the back. While Version 2 of the Stretch & Sew French T was hooker tight, Version 1 of the Loes Hinse Bianca (forever to be referred to as Bianca 1 from this day forth) was shapeless and made me feel, well, dowdy. It wasn't flowy and drapey. It was just baggy and shapeless. Like a sweatshirt.

This should come as no surprise. The sides of the pattern are ruler straight. Loes Hinse usually recommends heavy drapey fabric for her garments, and I'm sure heavy drapey fabric would hang and droop in a way that would mold to the body. Think slinky knit. My cotton/spandex knit was perky and bouncy and held its shape. No hanging therefore no shape.

So I ripped it out and tried again. In an attempt to give the back more shape, I took in the back an 1/2" along the side seams but that pulled the side seams to the back.

So I ripped it out and tried again. (I get a lot of entertainment value for my fabric dollar, playing with the same piece over and over like this.) This time I took in both sides equally - 1/4". Better. But still frumpy.

The front is okay. It's the back that bags and sags. This is a common problem for me with loose t-shirts and it's not flattering.

Several times in this quest for the ideal t-shirt pattern, I've thought of adding a back seam for shaping. But it seemed weird, as well as a lot of extra work. Then I saw a Banana Republic t-shirt with a back seam. Hmmmmmmm.... Maybe not so weird?

The fabric in Bianca 1 has provided enough entertainment value. Any more play and I'm in danger of wearing it out. The t-shirt is totally wearable, but it doesn't have the look I'm envisioning.

For the future Bianca 2, I'm going to morph the shapely side seams from French T Version 2 onto it. If that doesn't work, then Bianca 3 will have a back seam.

Do you have a favorite t-shirt? Is it shaped or straight sided?

               - Lady T

Three Strikes?

A wrinkly Version 1 waving hello

Three strikes and you're out? Or third time lucky?

I'm on a quest to perfect my t-shirt pattern. I love wearing knit tops. They're comfy and versatile. Every season, the pattern books come out with fun variations for this basic garment - ruffles, crossovers, color-blocks, peplums. Ripped, fringed, laced. If I had a TNT (tried 'n' trued) pattern, then tweaking it to accommodate the current trend would be easy-peasy.

Twice I thought I had it.

First time, I managed to lose the pattern. Unthinkable, I know, but there were extenuating circumstances (involving flood, week of Christmas, houseful of guests, lightning speed emergency deconstruction then snail speed reconstruction of entire lower level of house, ie my sewing space).

Second time I thought I'd found my TNT, I realized the sleeve cap was too small for the armscye.

Any sane person would just rework the sleeve cap pattern. But for some reason, that option had about as much appeal as mouldy bread. Vague unspecified displeasure with the pattern perhaps?

Falling for "the grass is always greener" line of thinking, I grabbed the old Stretch and Sew French T's pattern. I've always liked it, and many moons ago, had tinkered with it a bit. So back I went.

Peggy Sagers of Silhouette Patterns recommends using finished garment measurements from your favorite similar-styled clothes when choosing a pattern size. I have an old, old Gap t-shirt that I still wear (but not in public) because I love it so. I measured it - 39.5". It came smack between the S&S medium and large. No problem; I traced between them. I moved the shoulder seam forward 5/8" for my forward shoulders, an alteration I automatically do.

Adjustment for prominent shoulder blades - the red striped area

For Version I, I used a lovely cotton/lycra with good stretch and recovery in a heathery carnation pink. (Photo at the top of the page.) The result was fabulous - except the shoulder area needed tweaking. Narrower front and prominent shoulder blades adjustment, then on to Version 2.

For Version 2, I used a lovely heathered charcoal cotton/lycra knit with excellent stretch and recovery, thicker and stronger than the fabric used in the pink version. Again, the result was fabulous and the fit in the shoulders was looking good. Only problem.... it was tight in the body. Not too tight for a teenager ... but too tight for a grandmother. Especially one with a belly.

Version 2 - cross with itself for being too tight

It took me all day to admit it was too tight. After all, that's akin to admitting you're, er, well, fluffy. Plus the pattern fit on 60"/150cm wide fabric so nicely - less than 1 yard/metre yielded a short sleeved t-shirt.

For some crazy reason, I grabbed Loes Hinse's Bianca Sweater pattern to compare. When I laid Version 2 over Bianca, I nearly fell over. The shoulder/armscye area from Version 2 (which I'd so painstakingly altered) matched the shoulder/armscye area of the Bianca perfectly!

About the body width. <sigh> It was wider - much wider. Approximately 3/4"/2 cm wider per seam - 3"/8cm total. I traced the Bianca, size L, with a sad, yet hopeful heart that this would be The One.

Just so you know I know: 
1) I could've added 3/4"/2cm per seam to Version 2 but Bianca had all the adjustments already built in.
2) Different knits have different stretch and drape, and maybe Version 2 would've worked with a different knit. After all, Version 1, with its slightly stretchier fabric, squeaked through the tightness test. Sandra Betzina recommends having 1" side seam allowances to adjust for the varying stretches of knit fabric. Version 2, with its tiny seam allowances, did not have any "just in case" extra. I will not make that mistake again, even though the short sleeve version of the pattern will no longer fit in 1 yard/1 metre.

For fairness, I'm using the remainder of the heathered charcoal knit from Version 2 to make up the Bianca.

So, is the third the charm? Or am I going to strike out?


                         - Lady T

Two

One of the problems when dealing with UFOs is the person who finishes the garment has no idea what the person who started it was thinking - even if it's the same person!

While working on a discarded project, it becomes increasing clear that the person who started the stupid thing was right Out to Lunch. What on earth were they doing??? No wonder the thing ended up in the UFO pile. 

Other questions arise such as: Which pattern was used? Were there any construction instructions? Where is the rest of the fabric? What happened to the notions? And, worst of all, why isn't this working?!?

It's like trying to construct a jigsaw puzzle with your teeth - because you're hands are tied behind your back. The pieces may end up chewed and soggy, but the good bit is they flatten back out real nice when you beat them with your forehead.

I decided to start with something easy (ha!) and finish two black-and-white t-shirts I'd cut out and partially sewn at a guild sew-in a couple of years ago. At the time, I figured I could finish them both in that session (double ha!).

The flowered one was almost complete - only the hems were left. I'd planned to coverstitch both shirts when I finished the striped one.

As I worked on the striped shirt, the vague recollection of struggling with the sleeves on the flowered shirt popped to mind. Once again, I realized the sleeve cap was a good 1cm smaller in circumference than the armscye. As with the first shirt, I used the stretchiness of the fabric to compensate, but the stripes ended up a little wonky.

Flower Power and Jailbird have left the UFO pile

Then I noticed the hemline. The stripes were slightly off on it, too. Obviously I'd cut on the fold - both sides at once - instead of as a single layer, which is the way striped fabric should be cut. I was close to finishing, so I continued.

Now that they're done, I can't say that I'm thrilled with either one. While I like the fabrics - especially the flowers - the fit is off. And here's the really weird part - the fit of the striped shirt is worse than the flowered one, even though they were cut at the same time from the same pattern. The shoulders on the striped shirt slide towards the back more.

Is it because the striped fabric was slightly off grain? Or is it the difference between the two knit fabrics (flower - poly/lycra, stripe - cotton/lycra)? 

At any rate, time to celebrate this (flawed) victory. Two t-shirts have officially exited the UFO pile. Alas, many still to follow.

What about you? Any UFO sightings around your sewing area?