Yay!!! I've made something for me!!! It's the first item of clothing I have made for myself in many, many years.
I've been lucky enough to test the Rose T-shirt pattern for Melissa from
Melly Sews. I believe the pattern will be ready for sale on
Melissa's site and in her
Etsy shop, later this month. The t-shirt can be made with short sleeves, 3/4 sleeves or without sleeves. You can see all three versions
here.
I wanted to work with fabric I already had, mainly because it has been a LONG time since I've sewn with stretch fabric and because I would be using my normal sewing machine instead of an overlocker (serger). Out came an XL men's t-shirt from my now ever growing
clothing to be refashioned stash.
I
just had enough fabric!!! The back neck facing has a tiny bit of the
asics lettering, but you can't see it, because I've turned the facing so the wrong side of the fabric is showing. Let's face it, the facing doesn't show, so no one (other than you and me), will know how I've done it. That same facing also has a seam which isn't in Melissa's pattern. That's because the only fabric left, already had a seam in it.
As you can see, I've also used another pre-loved t-shirt for the black on the bodice. I added the black, because I didn't have enough of the blue t-shirt and didn't realise until it was all cut out. I'm rather glad it worked out this way, because I really like the black contrast between the two blues.
The patterned blue fabric is woven, unlike the rest of the t-shirt which is stretch fabric. This gives you a chance to really make your t-shirt distinctive and one of a kind. That appeals to me!
The Rose T-shirt was very quick to make up. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, with lots of photos included. The front facing is sewn into the sleeve seam, which is a
great way to make it lay flat and to help keep the facing in place.
I've deviated from the pattern, by topstitching the edges of the woven fabric. I didn't secure the front facing by stitching in the ditch, as I didn't like the chances of
my stitching not being seen. Perhaps with practice, I will perfect stitching in the ditch. Instead, I hand stitched the facing to the seam allowance, as it was really only a cosmetic thing, as the topstitching and sleeve seams secured it. I also topstitched the back facing to the seam allowance.
As I was using a pre-loved t-shirt, I decided to use the original hems for the bottom of my t-shirt and the sleeves. This is definitely NOT what the pattern says or how to correctly make a t-shirt. The hems really should be done last. However, I was thrilled that I managed to line the hems up perfectly, but, of course, if you look closely, you can see the seams.
I will most definitely be using this pattern again! It's so quick and easy to sew, even on a regular sewing machine. Another benefit is that there is no ribbing required, therefore making it inexpensive to make, even if you are buying the stretch fabric. There's bound to be co-ordinating woven fabric already in your stash.
Melissa gives comprehensive instructions re printing, even going so far as to give specific instructions for different printers and computers. As with all PDFs, the pattern is printed on multiple pages and requires cutting and taping the pieces together. All pieces are labelled clearly!!! Taping this pattern together is a breeze!
You'll definitely see more Rose t-shirts from me. Maybe next time I'll even take a photo of me in the t-shirt...
... Pam
Edited to add: You can now purchase the Rose t-shirt pattern over at Melly Sews.
