You're the One That I Want

The title of this post is because when I first wore this top, my friend said I reminded them of Sandy from the end of Grease.  Sadly didn't get a photo from that night, which is a real shame because I looked HAWT!!!

This is a top I've been wanting to make for a while, and my birthday party ended up being the perfect excuse.  I'd made the muslin a few weeks/months (who can remember??) ago, but hadn't had the opportunity to make a "good" one.  As my party was looming I wanted something NEW and SEXY to wear, but felt I had no time and the shops weren't providing.  At the last minute I had the idea to go ahead with this top, and thanks to RubyJam Fabric's excellent service it was one business week from thought to finished top.  I ordered the fabric on a Monday, received it on Tuesday, washed it on Wednesday, cut it on Thursday and sewed it on Friday!

I made the design using my Frankenshirt pattern and following the Sexy Shoulder Hack tutorial from Little Ragamuffin.  I added the shoulder straps to help make my bra straps less "bra" looking.

The bottom of the shirt kicks out slightly so I can wear it with pants or a pencil skirt and not feel self conscious about my belly.

But I also intend to wear it tucked in with fuller skirts for a more retro look, as seen here with my recent circle skirt make.

Frankenshirt

I think I'm pretty close to my perfect fitting t-shirt.

So this is an Agnes body, cut with a Miss Ruby Tuesday scoop neck, and the sleeves are from the Ginger Dress on the front and the Amanda on the back.

It's still a little tight in the bust, but I'm not sure if I'll change it, I don't mind it snug LOL

The sleeve pattern piece looks a bit wonky because of the mashing so I might have to smooth it out a bit but otherwise, I think I have a winner!!!

I might try skimming down the sides to see what that looks like, a bit more like the Everyday Tee.

Lovesick Bralette Tank Hack

I've been ogling Little Ragamuffin's Sweet and Lovely Dress since someone shared their version in a Facebook group.  I haven't tried it though because I have been worried how it would look on my body.

After my recent success with tops though, I finally thought I could do it some justice.

I decided to start with the Bralette Tank Top Hack before I ventured into a whole dress.  This uses the George & Ginger Lovesick Bralette pattern (which is free if you join their FB group), and then you add a bottom piece onto it to make the tank.  I'd already successfully made the bralette so knew I had the right size fitting well.

Jennifer uses the band pattern piece from the bra as a guide to make her 'body' piece, but she has a much slimmer physique than I do!  I decided to mash my trusty Agnes body with my Lovesick top to give me a bit more room around my tummy.  I wanted to do the front centre piece that Jennifer does on the Sweet and Lovely Dress, but I was worried how that might pull up the front of my tank because of my ample cleavage.  To work this all out, I put on my Lovesick Bralette, then my Agnes over the top.  I used pins to mark when the side band hit and where I wanted the centre front of the bralette to meet the body of the tank top.  Taking it off and transferring the markings to my Agnes pattern, I ended up with a curved shape at the top.  I then realised that my body piece was wider than the finished bralette piece.  I decided to add a little width to the bralette, since I wanted to wear it over a bra so it didn't need to be as snug.

On the Centre Front (left), you can see how I've curved the piece up to meet the bralette

My next problem was that I was intending to upcycle a dress, and the skirt wasn't quite wide enough to cut my body pieces out of.  I decided to reshape the sides so they were more in line with my Everyday Tee than the Agnes.  This probably looks better anyway, since I like to wear my tanks closer to my body, often as an under layer.

Pattern all sorted, I cut it out and followed Jennifer's instructions, and here is my upcycled Lovesick tank!

Now I'll just have to add the Sweet and Lovely dress to my ever increasing To-Do list.

More Adventures in T-shirts

After my success with Halla's Agnes and Slim Dolman, I decided to try more t-shirt variations.

I have the Ellie and Mac Every Day Tee pattern and really liked the bottom shape. I was feeling lazy though, so knowing that the Halla Slim Dolman fitted me through the bust (after a FBA), I just lined up the Everyday Tee with the Slim Dolman at the arm pits and combined the two. I used the 'loose fit' version but I'm not sure if I lost width when I merged with the Slim Dolman. I had to take up the hem a few inches to get the length I liked best. 

I think I would like just a little more ease across the belly, and the sleeves are just a tiny bit too tight, but otherwise it is love!!

When is a t-shirt not a t-shirt?

When you cut it up and make a much better shaped top out of it!

Inspired by this YouTube video, I decided to have a go at hacking/upcycling some t-shirts.

In the video, the last shirt is made larger by adding batwing sleeves.  I had a really old t-shirt that was probably a little too small when I bought it (20 years ago) and was unlikely to ever fit my mum-body now!  But I couldn't get rid of it, it was a favourite.

I am always a little nervous about just cutting up things without a patterns, so I decided to try out the Halla Slim Dolman pattern.  I printed it, did my trusty FBA and then compared it to the shirt I was wearing (which was also a dolman style) and decided it would be big enough.  Couldn't be bothered with a muslin.

I cut open the side seams and removed the sleeves from the t-shirt as per the video, but it was still so wonky that I had to cut the sides off a bit as well. I really should remember to take before/progress shots!  You know how t-shirts always twist after several washes?  This one was no different and you can still see how the design has warped.  Anyway, after cutting off the sides, I laid the shirt over the dolman pattern and worked out the extra fabric I had to cut.  I used an old pair of leggings that were a similar weight/feel to the shirt fabric.  I was never going to match that faded black unless I trawled an op-shop.

In the end the shirt has come out a little tighter than I'd hoped, I think I forgot to account for the stretch (or lack thereof) in the shirt fabric, but I am happy with the overall result.  The neckline is still raw, I'm not 100% sure what I want to do with it.  I don't think I want to leave it like this though as the old fabric is a little to delicate.

The second t-shirt I hacked was a birthday gift purchased at TeeTurtle.  I'd asked for a 3XL knowing that I wanted to do something more creative with it (I have a few more waiting too).  Following the success of my AmaZgnes shirts, I decided to use that pattern to shape this shirt better.

I cut up the side seams and removed the sleeves as before.  I then folding the shirt in half and placed the Agnes pattern over it.  I needed to insert a small triangle piece on the front underarm, and a triangle panels at the side seam as the t-shirt wasn't wide enough.  I maintained the original neckline and shoulder seams, but cut out the armhole/sideseam.  I then flipped the shirt over and repeated for the back.  Sewed it all back together, with the extra insert pieces, and now I had an awesome fitting t-shirt!  I guess it's not really a "T" shirt any more, but that's what I'm calling it.  This was also too long when I took the photo, but I have since shorted it a little.

Before

After

Triangle inserted at side seam

By retaining the original neckline, I didn't have the problem of losing some of the design, like some upcycle/refashions have, and it kept the look of a t-shirt, which is really what I was going for.

Agnes, Amagnes, AmaZgnes!!

I've been trying to make a t-shirt for a while now.  And I mean a good, well fitting t-shirt.  It's tricky when you have boobs.  T-shirt patterns are flat, boobs are not.  A full bust adjustment on a pattern creates a dart, I don't want a darted shirt.  There are ways to get rid of the dart and I'd been trying them, but I was also struggling to get sleeves to fit nicely on me and the shirt to sit well around my belly.

I finally tried the Halla Agnes pattern.  My first muslin was a good start but needed changing.  I had to add to the waist/torso length, which I'm thinking I should be doing to most patterns since I'm at least 1" taller than they seem to be drafted for.  I also wasn't really happy with the sleeve, they are drafted to be on the fold, so the same front and back.  I swapped out another sleeve from a pattern I made last year, which was better.  Eventually I got it to fit nice enough to use good fabric.

The fabric I chose just sat so nicely, I was in love instantly!  Wore this for the first time to a New Year's Eve party.

Now that I loved the shape of the body so much, I decided to work on it some more so I could make lots of shirts.  My t-shirt drawer still has some maternity wear in it so it definitely needs a refresh!

Halla had a pattern sale, so I picked up the Amanda. I love the yoke neckline (in the main picture) and a lot of people have been mashing it with the Agnes.  I put these sleeves, and the V neckline onto my Agnes and came up with this:

I've since realised that this one is a bit longer.  Will get around to shortening because I prefer the length of the pink one.  I'm *still* not happy with the sleeve, but I will fiddle that another day.  Just a little too much fabric at the front when I put my arms down (you can't see it in this photo).

So I have now nicknamed this pattern my Amazgnes, because it is an Amanda/Agnes cross (Amagnes) and it's AMAZING!!

Rosy Skulls

This is another project that has taken a while to come about.

I saw this Blooming Skulls fabric on Little Fabric Boutique in June and HAD to have it. I checked a patterns and decided I could get a shirt out of 1 metre. Also this became my introduction to AfterPay.

In September, The Australian Curvaceous Community Sew-along Group's theme was Spring, so that was the perfect opportunity to make my shirt.

I was using Butterick 3389, view A

Cue the six muslin shirt!!

I had to do a full bust adjustment, which I've recently realised is what's been missing from my sewing the last 25 years! I also had to allow for my belly.  I did my initial FBA, on the princess seam, and made a muslin, which was a great starting place but so far from right.  The princess seam ends at the 'corner' of the neckline, which created some difficulties. I ended up reshaping the shoulder portion of the neckline too, to make it sit right.  As well as this, I had to add length and reshape the back darts.

After the 6th muslin, I decided it was good enough. I think I'd still fiddle it a bit more if I made another one but this is great for now.

I had to buy the lining fabric for this, but the skulls were in my stash, so that's 1 metre less for the year!