Mother Nature can be such a tease. One day the temps get up to 60 degrees, the
next day the temperature is back down to a frigid 20 with snow blowing in every
which way. I have hope though that
Spring is just around the corner for us in the Northern Hemisphere. I'm not
giving up hope people! This hope is
what has coaxed me to put away the sweater knits in exchange for some more
spring-friendly knits. I don't know how
many of you got in on the big knit sale Fabric Mart had a couple weeks ago but
I sure didn't miss it. Let's just say I
may have went a little overboard. So
what's easy to sew up and even easier to wear?? A basic tee. There are so many great patterns out there
for tees I thought I'd highlight a few
of my favorites.
First up is a new pattern from Maria Denmark, the Olivia Oversize Tee. This was an instant love affair. I immediately bought and printed out the
pattern within 2.5 seconds of discovering it.
This pattern is available as a pdf download and one of the more quicker
ones I've come by when it comes to assembling.
It's a super quick make, no pesky sleeves to set, and the oversized look
makes it forgiving and easy to fit.
Total time spent assembling the pattern, cutting fabric and
sewing...approximately 2 hours. I made
mine using this
cream/black striped ponte knit from Fabric Mart.
I totally didn't pay attention when ordering this fabric but
the stripes are vertical. I really
wanted this shirt to have horizontal stripes, much like the pattern
picture. There was very little stretch
horizontally with this fabric so I opted to cut the main pieces on the bias. As if the print wasn't optical illusion
enough I cut the neckline, sleeve cuffs and hem cuffs all in opposite
directions. Please don't stare too hard,
my husband said you might go cross-eyed.
I do wish I would of paid more attention when cutting out the back piece
because I accidentally cut it the opposite direction of the front. I guess that's adding to the optical illusion
effect, oh well!
I only made one alteration which has
become a pretty common alteration for me, shortening the upper back about an
inch. It helped with the excess fabric I
had pooling around the armpit area that I discovered in my muslin.
Should of drank a V-8!!
No I'm not leaning because my shirt is making me all dizzy and woozy, my
camera however was getting a little drunk!
In case your wondering those red pants I'm wearing are
Simplicity 1696 Amazing Fit pants blogged here.
Next up is an oldie but goodie, Sewaholic's
Renfrew. Did you know you can now
purchase some Sewaholic pattern's from Fabric Mart?
Well now you know so get on it! I
love this top when I'm wanting to wear a more form fitting tee and also for
it's comfort and versatility (so many options to be made!).
I used this
beautiful seafoam green pique ponte knit.
Trust me when I say these pictures don't quite do the color
justice. The fabric is the same on both
sides (so no worrying about right side/wrong side) and has a slight sheen to
it. It's very comfortable to wear and
was an absolute dream to sew with. I
believe ponte knit is my all time favorite knit to work with.
Along with shortening the upper back I also made a sway back
correction following this
tutorial. Although I didn't really
follow the pattern instructions (this ain't my first rodeo with the Renfrew)
please know that Tasha's instructions are well written and the illustrations
make the instructions even more clear to follow.
Last but not least is a totally FREE pattern for you, Deer
& Doe's Plantain Tee.
If you go to Google and type in plantain tee your search
will result hundreds of bloggers ecstatic about this free pattern. And rightly so! This just might be my perfect
tee. It features a low u-shaped neckline
and unlike the Renfrew, a more relaxed fit around the waistline which comes in
great for that last cookie in the jar screaming your name. Geesh eat it already! My favorite part about the tee are those
cutie elbow patches.
I made the long sleeve version and yes I purposely made my
sleeves that long. I like a looong
sleeve. I even lengthened the hemline
about an inch. My fit alterations were
the same as the Renfrew. I did think the
neckline was a little too low for my liking so I raised it about a half
inch. I know that doesn't seem like a
lot but it did make a world of difference.
For my elbow patches I used a gray light weight sweater knit from my
stash and attached using a zigzag stitch.
The main fabric was this
light weight striped knit. It's super
soft and perfect for Spring temperatures ahead.
Because of the weight I did find it a little more finicky to cut and sew
with but found steam-a-seam
to be a godsend when it came to finishing the sleeve and bottom hem.
AHOY Spring!! ~Shannon
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