Burdastyle Twisted Tee

I've noticed my eye being drawn to twisted tees lately. I made this one back in February of 2018. It's a french terry; warm enough that I didn't wear it much during the summer and fall, but I did wear it on our recent trip to Tahoe and was reminded how much I like it.

Here's this year's twisted tee:

This year's twisted tee, BS 01-2019-113

And here's last year's twisted tee:

Last year's twisted tee, BS 02-2018-107

So, why not just make up last year's pattern again? Well, here's the line drawing:

BS 02-2018-107

The cut of the neckline is a bit...extreme. It drapes nicely enough when I'm wearing it, but it doesn't fit like a normal tee-shirt neck, that's for sure. It's hard to really see this from the line drawing, but there are only two pattern pieces here; a front and a back. The sleeves are cut on and that left sleeve wraps up around from the back pattern piece. It was confusing as heck to sew together, and it was no fun to cut out either. The cutting layout used even more fabric than I imagined it would.

In contrast, here's 01-2019-113:

BS 01-2019-113

The neckline is more like your garden-variety tee, and the sleeves have their own pattern piece. Hey-hey, I thought. Should be easier to put together, and take less fabric to boot. Like a regular tee, but with that je ne sais qui that explains why I need yet another knit top in my shirt drawer.

When I got it done and tried it on, I wasn't best pleased with it. The reason should have been apparent from the magazine photos, and probably also from the line drawing. With this tee, the folds drooped down around my hips instead of defining my (admittedly imaginary) waist.

When I laid last year's tee over this year's tee, the curve on the left sides was pretty much the same, but the curve on the right side, which creates those drapey folds, was much shallower.

Last year's tee is on top, showing the more extreme shape.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? So I pinned the curvier seam onto this year's tee and re-sewed that side.

I had to fudge the underarm area, because the sleeves are a different cut. I think it pretty much worked though. I also shortened about three inches at the hem. I like the fit a lot more now. In fact, I like it enough that I think I'll use this pattern again.

I tried to transfer the changes back to the pattern. We'll see how well that works out for me.

Side view

I used a Laguna jersey for this version. I have a hunk of navy and white knit in an abstract floral print that's been lurking in the fabric closet. I think I'll cut into that for my next try.

back view

I think I'll try a sleeveless version with that fabric. Well, "sleeveless" will look more like short sleeved, since the shoulders are so dropped. It might make a cute summer top.

I think I'll also try to corral that bateau neckline. It's wide enough that it wants to slip down off my left shoulder. Which would have been cute 40 years ago, but not so much now. The fact that it's my left shoulder that gets exposed probably says I could fiddle with the shaping at that right underarm. Maybe I'll throw this top onto Mini Me and see if I can drape it into submission.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Social Sewing Two

My friend Beth is like many of us; she used to sew back in the day. Then the job, the husband and the kids came along and she had no time or energy for such things.

But the years passed; the two kids became beautiful young ladies who fluttered from the nest to attend out-of-town colleges. She and her husband would look at each other on a Friday evening and realize they didn't have to ferry a single kid anyplace for the whole weekend. The sewing bug, which had lain dormant for decades, began to stir.

So we got together and made a Kirsten Kimono Tee.

Pretty print, yes? Perfect for a tee.

This free pattern from Maria Denmark is the bomb. It has two pattern pieces (plus a neckband). It has a nice, body skimming fit that flatters most everyone. There are no sleeves to set. And you can get it out of a yard of fabric.

I've lost count of how many versions of this top I've made up. It works well in all weights of knit fabric and it's great on it's own in warmer weather or under a jacket or cardigan when it's chilly. Did I mention it's free?

Maybe you're jumping back in the sewing pool after a break, like Beth. Or maybe you're new to knits and looking for a simple but useful pattern to cut your teeth on. Or maybe you sew regularly but want to add a nifty staple to your pattern drawer. Wherever you're at with your sewing, I highly recommend this pattern.

Here's one of my stable of Kirsten's. I have three in black.

Don't be shy; give it a try!

Two Tees for One

I scored this remnant of striped knit at a local garage sale. A sale at my friend Jessica's house, as a matter of fact. There was, maybe, a yard and a half?

I really liked the colors, as did The Man. He would have been happy to have a tee in this fabric for himself but, since he likes his tees enormously long and with large pockets, there wasn't quite enough fabric to kit him out. Especially given the demands of stripe matching.

Kirsten Tee from Maria Denmark 

So instead I made myself two tees! My first go was with an old favorite, the Kirsten Kimono Tee from Maria Denmark. Cut on sleeve means you need just enough fabric to get the length you want. Plus, free pattern! If you haven't given it a try, I recommend it highly.

Side view

And I think I did OK with the stripe matching! My arm is in the way, so you can't really check out the side seams, but you can kind of see I chevron-ed the shoulder seams, right?

Back view. Not too exciting.

I cut the neckband on the lengthwise grain, so the stripes run the opposite direction to the body of the tee. Quick and easy, and the color combo seems to go with most of my pants and skirts.

I was left with a tantalizing remnant. It looked like it should be enough to eek out a sleeveless tee, but I'd be sporting a crop top if I wasn't pretty creative with layout.

That night in bed I had a little "ah-ha" moment and realized that, since this knit has 4-way stretch, I could just flip the fabric to cut the pieces on the cross-grain.

Alabama Chanin tee, sleeveless version

This is the tee from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design. It's another great pattern for using teeny tiny bits of fabric; as the fit is pretty slim. I also appreciate that the neckline is high and the shoulders are pretty covered up for a sleeveless tee. Irish heritage plus California sun can be a bad combination.

I had just enough fabric so that I could give some thought to stripe matching on this axis too.

I didn't get a good shoulder shot to demonstrate, but I even managed to match the stripes going front to back.

And I chevroned the stripes at the side seams. Not identically, if you compare the left side to the right side, but if you only look at me from one side at a time, it's pretty good!

Just in time for summer!

Rectangle Tee

Even Burdastyle lovers will complain when they try to pass off a couple of rectangles seamed together as a pattern. I'm a hard core Burdastyle fan, but I've got to admit that BS 06-2016-#101 (Oversized Sleeve Shirt) looks like you could draw it up yourself with a straightedge in 5 minutes. But, gosh darn it, when you look at them, these are really nicely drafted rectangles!

BS 06-2016-#101

See how there's just a bit of curve at the sides, right by the arm pit? And again across the bust at the front?

Somehow that gives this top just enough shape to escape the gravitational pull of Planet Boxy.

Yet it's still a super-easy sew. Four pieces, finish the neckline and you're done.

Rear view

I used a hunk of black knit that had been in stash for several years. It feels like a cotton/poly mix and it has a texture kind of like Izod polo shirts; you know, with little holes in it and enough weight to kind of hold its shape. Not much stretch either, but since one of the fabrics Burdastyle recommends for this pattern is sweat shirting, I figured I could get away with it.

Side-ish view

I want to try this top again with a drapier fabric. Burda shows it in stripes, with the stripes on the sleeves running horizontally and the stripes on the body running vertically. I have a piece of jersey with teal and white stripes and I'm determined to to get this top out of it.  I think I'll have to shorten the sleeves quite a bit to make it work; those cut-on sleeves use up more fabric than you might suppose.

I wore my new top with a knit pencil skirt (from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual) to my friend Lisa's birthday/retirement party and felt just a bit gussied up but still comfortable enough to eat massive quantities of chips and dip.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.

Knocking out the Knits

Gosh, June is more than half over already. Where does the time go? As you probably know, June is Knits Month on the Stashbusting Sewalong. I've recently taken a brief break to do some woven sewing, but now I'm back in the depths of the knit stash and more eager than ever.

This is a Santa Monica Tee, made from the second yard of that three yard bundle I snagged at the Tilton booth in Pullayup.

Tilton knit bundle - designed for color blocking but it appears I'm too timid

Chesneykat, who blogs at Room for Sewing, has just posted a plethora of cap-sleeve versions of this tee. I've made the pattern a couple of times before, but never the cap-sleeve view. Inspired, I hauled out my pattern and my fabric and got to cutting.

In my enthusiasm, I forgot one of the basic tenents of sewing:

Stripes + Garment = Pattern Matching, and

Pattern Matching + Raglan Sleeves = Heartache and Sorrow

I almost tossed in the towel at a couple of points. And, as is often the case when staring failure in the eyes, my technique got pretty darn sloppy. By stretching things a bit more than required for easing, I got the shoulder stripes to kind of match in the front. The back is another story.

But, since I can't see that side anyway, I'm sure the pain will fade with time.

I like the pattern quite a bit. It's well-known that I'm a sucker for a square neck, and this neckline is a bit squared off. The top has a nice shape, and the shoulder darts give a better fit than is sometimes the case with raglan sleeves. They're hell for stripe matching though.

The one thing I'm not wild about is the neckline finish. The pattern has you just turn and stitch. Each time I make this top, I plan to come up with a cleaner solution, and then I get rushed, or tweaked by pattern matching, and I just follow the instructions to be done with it. Next time for sure!

My review of this pattern is at PatternReview.com here.

My other recent F.O. is another version of the knit pencil skirt from Gertie Sews Vintage Casual.

The first time I made this pattern I was fantasizing about a version in a scuba knit print. I have to say, I'm not 100% clear on what the heck a scuba knit is but I'm going to go ahead and believe that this fabric is one. It feels like a ponte, but maybe a bit smoother. It's the most expensive piece of fabric I've ever owned. I got it at Britex, with this skirt in mind.

The good news is, this skirt takes less than a yard. It's like the cashmere scarf of sewing in that it makes a little bit of expensive material go a long way. I kind of fell in love with the print. It includes most of the colors I like to wear.

The elastic at the waist is applied in a very cool way. You zig-zag it to the top of the skirt, turn the band over and then tack it at the side seams. You don't get any of the gathering that you do with some elastic waistbands. I usually wear my tops untucked, but wearing your top tucked in or with a narrow belt are both good options with this waistband.

I'm planning to pop out another tee or two before the end of Knits Month. Possibly a pair of knit shorts too. I was working in the hot sun over the weekend and wished I had some knock-around short pants to wear.

And! On Thursday I'm signed up to take Beginning Underwear Sewing at Hart's. I've made a few practice undies on my own and they came out pretty good. I want to have someone walk me through the whole Fold Over Elastic thing though. I have some in stash, but my previous attempts have been very, very sad.

Yes, Another Renfrew

Another length of stashed knit has moved to a higher plane:

Another Renfrew, V-neck edition

The Renfrew top, from Sewaholic, is truly the pattern that keeps on giving. This is probably the 10th Renfrew I've made, but! This is my first Renfrew with a V-neck!

I've made a passel of scoop-neck Renfrews and at least 4 cowl-neck Renfrews. Those cowl-necks. Oh, so cozy. Like wearing a top with a built in scarf.

I don't know why it's taken me so long to get around to the V-neck. Maybe I was worried about how to get the ends of the neckband to meet neatly in the front? Turns out there were no neckband issues at all. Tasia's directions are super clear and everything came together well on my first attempt.

I used one of the bits of knit that I got at the Tilton booth in Puyallup. It's a gray and green stipe, very soft and drapey. I had one yard, which was just enough to squeeze out this tee.

I got these three lengths as a three-yard bundle, with the idea of trying some bold color blocking. Turns out I'm not that bold yet. Maybe next time....

side view

But I was sassy enough to cut the cuffs witth the stripes going a different direction than the body.

Opposing cuffs

So, now I've tried all three of the neckline variations on one of my favorite patterns. And I'm glad I did. I see a few more V-neck versions in my near future.

Maybe one of these days I'll try one of the other two sleeve lengths!

Easiest Tee Yet

In my last-minute sewing frenzy before we left for Oregon, I pulled out my September, 2011 issue of BurdaStyle and traced out tee #108, the dolman sleeve tee. Burda calls these kimono sleeves, but they look like dolmans to me.

Front view

I had a nice piece of cotton jersey with a large print that I got at Backstitch in Nevada City. I thought this pattern would be just the ticket - no darts or pesky sleeves to set in to break up those giant flowers. Plus, you couldn't ask for a quicker sew. Two pattern pieces: a back and a front, both cut on the fold, and a neckband. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am; you're done.

Back view

I like to have a few light, loose, long sleeve tees around for summer wear. Even with liberal applications of sun screen I start to burn pretty quick.

Burda describes the top as slightly fitted, which is right on the money. It has enough shaping so that it feels loose but not baggy. The dolman sleeves help with the breezy feel, and I don't think they're too extreme. I lived through the 80's so I've seen some dolmans that would make your hair curl.

Sleeves hoiked up

Next time I think I'll make the sleeves just a tad longer and narrow them at the cuff just a bit. I often shove long sleeves up to my elbows when I'm doing dishes and what not. These sleeves are loose enough so that they creep back down on me before I'm ready.

For such a simple pattern, I like the way this turned out. I have some striped jersey that I'm eyeing up for version #2.

I ended up cutting the top about 3 inches shorter than Burda suggested. I wanted it to hit at my high hip, which feels long enough to tuck in but short enough so that it doesn't look too tunic-y when un-tucked. Not that I have anything against a good tunic! In a heavier knit this pattern would make a great one. Note to self: winter is coming.

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.