I'm a little late getting on the band wagon here but better late than never, right?
I've been sewing without a focus and thought perhaps that might not be the best use of my time. Like anything else, you accomplish more when you have concrete goals set. I'm not sure how concrete these will be but here goes....
The item of clothing I wear most in my closet are tee's. If I could have a barrage of TNT patterns in my arsenal for tops I could sew anything I could dream up and it would fit!
I need tee's with raglan, dolman and cut on sleeves in addition to traditional set-in sleeves. I also like to wear funnel neck tops in the winter with another layer over them. I'm not crazy about jewel necks but that might be a fit issue. I do like boat neck tops, v-necks and a modified scoop neck. If I had patterns with these issues worked out, it would be so easy to just whip one up!
I would also like to understand the stretch vs. fit issue. It would be nice to have patterns for knits with 25%, 50% and 75% stretch already in place so that fitting would be whittled down to a minimum. I plan to measure my favorite RTW garments then test against the percentage of stretch in the fabric and hopefully come up with separate blocks if you will.
So that's my plan for this year! I know it sounds simple but alterations on raglan and dolman sleeve tops confuse me. I have plenty of books to reference for that issue but until I actually do it - I know I won't understand.
I want to come up with necklines that I can just superimpose over the pattern. I'm starting at the basics and frequently RTW tops are too low. I don't care for that, after all - I don't have that much to show! LOL
Wish me luck! If I get these done maybe I'll work on pants!
4 comments:
Cathy - I think that if you can get a TNT t-shirt pattern that works for you with set-in sleeves, that then modifying that pattern to change the sleeves to dolman or cut-on sleeves will not be terribly difficult. Same for changing a basic neckline to v-neck, boat neck, and scoop neck all to your taste... Basically what you will be doing is using your (future) TNT pattern like a design block to ring the changes on. Raglan sleeves are a whole nother thing, there is a way to generate them from a set in sleeve, but it has always looked tricksy to me. (I have yet to come up with a set in sleeve that I am happy with for myself, but that is a function of my own body peculiarity, tiny shoulder and extra large bosom) I often change the details on my TNT t shirt pattern, which has raglan sleeves. It took me at least four tries to come up with a pattern that satisfied me, so I encourage you to not give up!
Hi Cathy - good for you, for jumping on the t-shirt bandwagon. This project will be well worth your efforts. It sure has been for me.
Your comments about stretchiness of the fabric are so true. Every top I make fits a little differently because of the degree of stretch. Kind of a pain, but that's the way it is. It will be fun to see if you can figure out a fitting system that works for you.
Hey Dixie! I thought if I had tee patterns worked out for different amounts of stretch, it would save time later. I realize I'll still have to fit them individually but it would give me a head start. We'll see how that works out!
Alison, I've started on the Style Arc Ann T top and it's drafted beautifully. I'm going to remove the side ruching for the TNT but I can always add it back in later. I'm on my second try now but I know I'll get there eventually! :)
I do think you're smart to choose achieveable goals.
I automatially adjusted new necklines and shoulder length so there's no gaping. This is an adjustment I do as a fisrt step, as well as check for a sway back adjustment.
If you decide your goals are too achievable, test out a different neckline and see how a small tuck in the right spot can make the t-shirt fit better.
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