My new favorite t-shirt pattern . . .

This is the 3/4 t-shirt (view 2) from Ottobre Woman spring/summer 2/2007.  After reading many positive reviews on Patternreview, I decided to try it for myself and I’m so glad I did.  I really did very few alterations on the pattern.  I started with the size that fit my bust, then tapered out to the next size up for my waist and hips.  This was fine for my muslin knit fabric, but for this thicker and less drapey cotton-lycra I needed a little more width in the abdominal area and hips (I always use a 1″ seam allowance at the side seams just in case).  I did a square shoulder alteration and a-ahem- muscular upper arm alteration of 1″.  I also did a sway back alteration that looks okay–I took two tucks on the pattern instead of one and took in a little at the side waist.  There are a couple drag lines in the photo but I can live with those because there isn’t a big puddle of fabric at my back waist. 

 I did not do a FBA (full bust alteration) and didn’t find I needed one (I am a C cup).  For sizes 46 and up the pattern has easing at the bust and there are directions on how to add it to the smaller sizes, but I didn’t even do that.  The only other alteration I might make to future editions is make a slight forward shoulder alteration.  But I’m really satisfied with both tops I made from this pattern–which is now my favorite basic t-shirt pattern.  Finally–after years of searching.   I am planning to make more shirts from this pattern with some neckline and sleeve differences. 

What I’ve been working on . . .

Now that the contest is over I can get back to the 21st century with my sewing.  Well, after I’ve finished this skirt, that is.  I’m making it in a glen plaid velveteen–gray on black, lightweight (for velveteen), soft, and lovely.  I bought the fabric from Fashion Fabrics Club and it’s one of the nicer fabrics I’ve bought from them.  I had some difficulty with the side seams; they seemed lumpy and hung strangely.  After some experimentation sewing new seam lines, the skirt looks fine.  The side seams still hang a little strangely, but after looking carefully at the pattern illustration it seemed like the drawing showed the side seams doing something similar to what mine wanted to do, which is pull to the back a little toward the hem.   I think this is happening because the back is a straight skirt, and the front a bias cut quarter circle–the fullness of the front causes the seam to slant toward the back a little.  I used a grosgrain ribbon for a facing, using a combination of the directions given in the pattern for a facing with “belting” and the directions for installing a grosgrain ribbon in Sandra Betzina’s Power Sewing book.  Following the pattern, I cut the ribbon so that it was snug fitting (after making hems at the ends of the ribbons) and sewed two hook and eyes to the end of the ribbons so that it made a little belt.  But I wasn’t really sure from the pattern’s illustrations how to sew it in place, so I used the Power Sewing instructions and sewed the edge of the ribbon to the seam line on the right side of the fabric (the ribbon was on top of the seam allowance) and then folded the ribbon to the inside of the skirt.  It makes a nice waist finish and I think it will really help hold up this skirt, which is a little heavy.   Now I’m letting the skirt hang for several days to let the bias portions stretch to where they want to stretch to.

While I’m hanging the skirt, I decided to start on some t-shirts.  I’ve been wanting to try the t-shirt patterns from the spring/summer 2006 Ottobre Woman (I believe the issue is 2/2007).  I traced the 3/4 sleeve shirt pattern, using my full bust size, even though I’m a C-cup, and tapered out to the size larger at the waist and hips.  I added a center back seam and a sway back alteration, did a one inch large arm adjustment, and added 1″ seam allowances to the underarm seams, side seams and shoulder seams.  I made a muslin out of a print rayon jersey in my stash that isn’t too stretchy.  While I was sewing my muslin, I did discover I needed a square shoulder alteration (I thought I would, which is why I made one inch seam allowances at the shoulder.  On my next attempt, I’m going to do a second tuck on the pattern for the sway back alteration (still had some fabric puddling) And add some length to the center back, tapering out to the side seams.  But other than those minor fitting issues, my muslin fits beautifully.  My DH looked at it and said “no wrinkles!”  I had read positive reviews of this pattern and I’m so glad I tried it.  I think this will become my TNT (Tried aNd True) t-shirt pattern.   I’m so amazed that I had to do so few alterations to the pattern