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Vogue 8636
I have been sewing a series of T-shirts using V8636. Here are some tips and photos. The style is super easy to sew and flattering to wear. The neck band pattern pieces are a guide, but the fit/tightness and location of the neck can vary depending on your fabric, and can vary depending if you cut the bands on the lengthwise or crosswise grain. The amount of stretch will determine how the neck fits. |
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| For the pattern envelope I used 4 different fabrics for the t-shirts: a polyester/lycra, a rayon/lycra, a collage of rayon/lycra and sheer mesh and a cotton/lycra. Each neck required a different treatment.....you can see that I used double darts on some, single darts on others and tucks & buttons. I have made this same top many times and with each one I adjust the band, and in a few cases, I have had to rip and cut a new one.
Experience is such a good teacher! I now machine baste the band in place to be sure it is the way I want it to be.
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|  | | | | | | The line drawing tells a lot. You can see the band options. The size and placement of the darts are NOT indicated on the pattern because it is the fabric that will determine how many darts and how big to make them. |
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Spring T's
This spring I am playing with adding blue and a bit of pattern to my wardrobe....here are a group of T-shirts that are the result of fun and experimenting with the same pattern.
Each fabric responded differently. The neck band varies on each garment because of the fabric I chose for the band, AND because of the grain/stretch of the fabric. I always try on the garment before stitching on the band to see if I like the placement and overall size of the neck. Go to the TUTORIALS on the website to see how I lower the front neck. |
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| Tutorial on lowering the neck |
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| Double Layer T |
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| | I used a sheer printed mesh knit over a brown rayon/lycra knit in the body and the sheer is single layer in the sleeve. This project was fun AND challenging, and I love the finished garment, the colors go with lots of different pants and skirts.
I sewed the two layers together, and needed to press and fiddle because the printed mesh/net has a slight crinkled texture and the rayon lycra layer is flat. Fitting at the side seams was essential....both fabrics stretched some in construction. During fitting I decided I liked a more open neckline, so had to cut and sew the neck bands twice.
I now machine baste the neck bands in place and try on the garment before permanently stitching it.
The two layers are stitched together at the side seams, but are hemmed separately with the sheer layer hemmed about 1 inch longer. |
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| | | | | | Up close look at the neck. The mesh was stable (not very stretchy) in one direction and VERY stretchy in the other direction. My first thought was to use the non-stretchy direction for the bands to stabilize the neck. Sounds good in principle, but it did not work, the neck was too tight and the neck and sleeve area on the garment did not fit.
So I ripped and cut a second neck band, slightly larger and so the stretchy direction goes around the neck. All the time I was skeptical if it would work or not. But it did!
The darts take in any 'gaposis' so the band lies flat at the neck. |
| | | | | Hem detail showing how the sheer top layer is hemmed slightly longer than the brown under layer. |
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Carol in her version.....
Carol McBride, friend and neighbor, studied garden design in England. For the past few years has been lending her visionary eye to our garden---and she also sews. We swap garden consults for fabric and sewing consults. Up until now, her sewing repertoire has been mostly pants. Here is her very first T-shirt, and she tells me she is hooked!! |
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| Pieced and Silk Screened Collage T |
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| | I had some treasured scraps from the Blue Tatters fabric left over from another project (BTW this fabric sold out fast, but we have more coming in June, watch the website). I cut up the pattern and incorporated both sides of the Blue Tatters and added a cream/dark blue stripe, cutting it on the crossgrain for the front and on the bias for the sleeve. Cutting on the bias was a risk, but it worked.
At some point I realized it needed some silk screening. My new sandals are orange/rust, so I added a swirl with the Grace Note screen. Got carried away and put 3 on the front and it did not look right, so mixed up my own blue paint color and screened over it using a new screen design----and it came together. (tho I was ready to rip that front panel off and cut another). |
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| | | | | | Back view. I left slits at the front, back and side....like this a lot.
I cut the neck band using 2 different fabrics. |
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| Silk Screened T with Double Layer Sleeve |
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| This version uses a rayon/lycra knit for the body and a double layer nylon mesh for the sleeve, and the same cream/dark blue stripe I used in the blue pieced collage T.
The color/shades in the sleeve and the body fabrics needed something, so I mixed up paint in a color that ties things together and selected 2 large silk screens that repeat the look of the print on the sleeve.
This was an experiment that worked, but there were moments when I was not sure! |
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Paris T-Shirt
On my last day in Paris, I hit the souvenir shops on the rue de Rivoli and picked out a few t-shirts for a future project (at the time unknown). Then I added another from a thrift shop with the Mona Lisa on it.
Cutting out the parts with the images, I played around with scraps of stripes and meshes and voila, this is the result. When combining a thin knit with thicker ones I either used the thin knit double or layered a sheer mesh on top (both helped make the knit more stable and easy to
work with). It was really fun. The studio table was a mess, heaped with bits and pieces. Most of the time I had no idea where I would go next. Sometimes I wanted to throw up my hands in despair and weep, other times there were AHA!! moments of working things out. (and keep reminding myself that it was just 4 t-shirts from tacky Paris souvenir shops and one 99 cent one from a thrift store and a few scraps).
I pulled out all the stops and experimented with different ways of sewing things together. Used some lapped seams, sewed others to the outside, stitching with a double needle and bound the hem edges
The pattern is a prototype for a future Vogue pattern.
took one day...and I really like the result!!! |
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Vogue 8636
Marcy's rendition using new T-Shirt pattern Vogue 8636 and our April in Paris kit. The T is pieced in the front, the back is cut double with the petite point d'esprit, sheer hem is left with the hem slightly longer and raw edge. Double darts were a final addition. Sleeves are the heart net. I used a scrap on hand from my stash for the front layer. |
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Renditions of Vogue 8582
This has been my 'go-to' pattern for tops and t-shirts this season. Here are versions I made for my Paris travel wardrobe. |
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| The Paris Travel Wardrobe |
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| Orange-Red (Paprika) Microfiber Pieced T |
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| Gray Tunic with self fabric embellishment |
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| Norma Kamali Gray Microfiber-Lycra Matte Jersey |
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| Basic But NOT Boring Black Microfiber Pieced T |
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| Parisian Black Microfiber Knit |
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...to wear with the black T.....
Sheer Black Vest
V8559
I used view B/C as a vest with our Ooomph Sheer mesh knit edged in Black Petite Dot Mesh. Super fast sewing. This is a great layering piece to wear year round. |
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| Petite Dot Black Mesh Knit |
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What is an ITY knit?
ITY means INTERLOCK TWIST YARN and refers to a new process of putting an innovative twist into the yarn that is used for knit fabrics. This is one of the new ‘good’ microfiber (polyester) fabrics and is a darling of the fashion world, so it is showing up in fabric stores. It is all over the place in ready to wear at all price points. In the fabric markets I’m seeing it in polyester/microfiber and lycra/spandex jersey prints which have a beautiful drape, lovely soft matte feel and good stretch and recovery. Another big plus is that it does not pill and the texturing process gives it some breathe-ability.. ITY knits can have a different feel and or texture---the crepe textures are lovely, I avoid the smother more plastic-y ones. The ITY jerseys are easy to cut & sew as they don’t curl and hold a press well. I love them for t-shirts, but they are great for little skirts and knit dresses (think that classic Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dress). The drape and stretch are REALLY good....so I add a bit of extra ease at the side seams and double check the fit before sewing the side seams to be sure the ease is right---don’t want this fabric too tight. IYT knits come in incredible prints and colors. Pre-shrink by tossing in the washer and drier, then wash on gentle and air dry. |
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New Fall T-Shirts
Here in the studio, I have been adapting V8582 to a plain T-shirt....it has a great fit and sleeve and is easy to adjust the pattern. |
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| Dusty Teal Mesh Knit | | The body of the T-shirt is cut double, with the hem on a fold. The sleeve is cut single. I used Colorhue dyes mixed with shaving cream for the silk screening---this leaves the fabric soft. It got a bit blurry on the edges, but I really like the effect! |
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| | | | | | | I used the twisted neck binding that is shown on the pattern....the shaving cream+dye combo bled through to the wrong side of the fabric, so it looks good on the back and front side, and works in the twist. The twist ended up at center front by accident---I usually try to get it off to one side. |
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V8582 continues.... | | | Collage T shirt using our Hisako burnout knit cut double for the body (hem on the fold), and other sheer fabrics for the sleeves and neck. |
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| | | | | | | The body of the T is cut single thickness in our German rayon/lycra knit with sleeves in 2 colors in our Plum and Blueberry sheer/opaque stripe knit. The selvedge is used at the hem on the sleeves and neck. This combo is available as a kit. |
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