I Spoke Too Soon...

At the risk of seeming like an idiot, I take it all back about Banana Republic failing on the T shirt front. I went there on a whim yesterday - even though on no-spend watch, they sent me a coupon for 40 per cent off and I'm weak - and found this T in a bunch of colours:

Banana Republic Piped Luxe Tee - The click-to photo shows the T in a diff colour and with better fit, IMO...

(Trust me, the fit is much better than it looks on this model who, while lovely, is really badly styled and wearing a shirt that doesn't fit her particularly well. And that thing around her neck is jewelry, btw, not some weird neck decoration attached to the shirt.)

The composition of the top is rayon, Tencel (why am I not surprised?) and a minority amount of cotton. Very good combo!

It's even available in petite size (which is what I bought, what with the narrow shoulders and the short waist). The small fits beautifully and the fabric is delicious. It skims where it should and clings where it should. A narrow band of satin trim at the crew neck is a very sweet element that gives the shirt extra scope. You can easily dress it up. And, on sale it cost 30 bucks (including tax). Which is why I bought 3 and why I would have bought a fourth if only they'd had it in black.

Alas, it's not avail in the more basic colours online anymore - and it's fairly picked over at the store too.

Gotta say, BR had a zillion totally adorable T shirt style tops, in lovely fabrics, in store - many of them with stripes (which is my fave, of course). 

So, if you happen to go check it out, do tell me what you think, ok?

Where Have All The Good T Shirts Gone?

No, really. Time was, you could go to the Gap or Banana Republic and find a substantial cotton/lycra blend for a decent price. You know, the kind that smooths over everything without clinging. The kind that doesn't stretch out beyond all recognition within 10 washes. The kind that isn't sort of see-through (not that I begrudge the modern, translucent fabrics when they're what I want).

I don't want to make my own t shirts. Sure, I spent a month creating a sloper for just this purpose, a couple of years ago. But I can't really find the kind of fabric I'm searching for on the bolt either. Not to mention, it's not exciting sewing. I'd need to find a perfect fabric, which called to me for t shirts only, in order to be motivated to sew another t shirt. (When I go through my next t shirt sweat shop phase, you can remind me of this post...)

A few years ago, when in Quebec City, I went to this little store called Paris Cartier (I think) on Avenue Cartier (in the Montcalm area which, btw, is totally where I'd live if I lived in QC) and bought a blue and white striped, crew neck T. So awesome was the thick, soft, extremely resilient fabric (which has such good recovery I'm still wearing the thing weekly), that it's lasted hundreds of wearings (though it's on its last legs). The brand - which I've only ever seen at this boutique - is Danish, called Jackpot.

This trip, I found another of the T shirts - this one in pure white - and I happily purchased it though, sadly, I sense it's too sheer to wear on its own. The drape and fit, however, are awesome.

Believe it or not, there appears to be but one store in TO that sells Jackpot, and it's in the east end (on the Danforth, near Carrot Common). I don't really go east, as anyone will tell you. But I might have to make an exception. Or order from Denmark online :-)

So desperate am I, I've even got to the point that, for the right t shirt, I'll spend 70-100 bucks. (Of course, I'll wait till the sales and spend 35.00-50.00, but you know what I mean.) But honestly, if I don't want the T to look cheap, I might have to actually throw money at these, the most predisposed to disposable of garments.

Between the neutral bra I can't find, and the perfect t shirt to go atop it, I'm feeling serious fashion anxiety. Given our recent heat wave, the other day I wore a thin-ish white T with a sub-optimal bra (right colour scheme, too lacey) and the result was horrendous. Oy.

So, today's questions: What's your go-to t shirt brand? What do you look for in a t shirt? How much will you spend? And - I need to know - what's the biggest hole in your wardrobe currently? Maybe we can help each other...

Nirvana

OMG, OMG - my T shirt sloper is THE SHIT! It's rare that I don't pick at every flaw until I dislike a homemade garment, but version 5 is everything I ever could have hoped for:

• Just the right amount of scoop - not too low, nor too high
• Perfect in bodice length and in the shoulder width
• Nicely curved in at the waist to accentuate - not boxify

Tonight's product started out very dicey. The rayon jersey was not cooperating. I know it has a tendency to sew badly (or well) seemingly depending on the day, but I was shocked by how unwilling it was to work with the twin needle. Thank God you can't really see the navy stitches on navy background of the U neck because it's vaguely tragic.

In a panic, I decided to pull out my walking foot to pair with the twin needle. I thought everything might come to a screeching halt but the two devices worked harmoniously together - and the walking foot completely ameliorated the rayon issue.

I'm so grateful to say that was my only challenge. The top went together in an hour (it was already cut and prepped). I used the serger for everything but the top stitching (bold - or insane - I realize, but I'm actively trying to develop a feel for the machine).

The jersey drapes like a dream and the shirt fits me perfectly.

This sloper has taken 5 prototypes. Just like my pants sloper. So it seems, 5 may be a magic number when it comes to making muslins (albeit some wearable ones), adjusting the paper patterns, and starting again. Really, it's so worth the effort.

Of course I will show photos. Just have to find some time to take them - though will be off from work for the next few days, which will help.

This weekend, my sewing plan is to make 1 more T shirt out of the black rib knit and to use the new denim - or maybe an elegant wool pin stripe - to construct another pair of my sloper pants. (You can read the whole saga if you search for V1166.) I know I'm about to embark on the jeans sew along, but I can't wait any longer for a new pair of pants. I've worn the other 2 pairs I've made into the ground. I love having hand-constructed clothes that I effortlessly reach for because they work.

The good news is that this weekend's projects are tried and tested. Of course, every fabric responds to a pattern in its own fashion. I just hope the sewing goddess is with me as I hum away on my machine... Please stay tuned.

But while we're waiting, tell me about a sloper you've constructed that has blown your mind? What hard-won, much-altered pattern has changed the way you wear your clothes?

Single Minded

Just call me one-track Krissie; I cannot get T shirts out of my mind!

I wore the loud patterned one today and learned (what I'd suspected) that the neck is too low. The tremendous value in wearing one's finished garments is in learning how they still must be revised. Without wearing, I never would have understood that it's still too low in the neck only partly cuz I need to raise the bust cut line, but also because the shoulder seams need to be a bit shorter (i.e. the span between my shoulders and my chest is shorter, very slightly, than that of the sloper). I also realized that I have to take in the waist still further.

Today's revisions include:

• Narrowing the waist at its apex by another 2 inches (approx)
• Taking the shoulder seams on front and back pieces up by 1/4 inch (effectively shortening from the top)
• Raising the U neck lowest point by 1.5 inches (This might be too much, but I want to see where it lands)
• Updated on Tuesday: I also lowered the back neck by 1/4 inch to maintain the span. Where it doesn't fit is on the front, not the back.
• Oh, and narrowed the sleeve another half an inch or so. (Maintaining the armscye dimensions...)
  

Now don't get me started on the BBW sloper. For kicks, this afternoon I decided to compare the original small pattern sloper (crew neck T) against the latest version of the one I've modified no less than 5 times.

OMG. At the waist, my version is actually smaller than the XS. Everywhere else (but the full chest zone) it's smaller than the S by some degree. This pattern - which I'll take a photo of, when it finally lands, is hilariously curvy. The power of negative ease! Note to reader: It also runs rather large. Like the vanity sizing of T shirts.

At this point, I don't even know why I started with the BBW sloper - except that it is a 2 dimensional schematic that I wouldn't have felt confident drafting for myself. So I've learned I don't feel comfortable establishing the starting point, but I sure as hell feel fine taking liberties with the alterations. It's actually TOTALLY fun - like a mystery novel. And, in truth, the instructions are very helpful. I'm not knocking the book or the pattern.

Well, I'm kind of knocking the pattern. Because Wendy sure as hell wouldn't try to sell a straight waist T shirt in her line. I simply don't know why she's patterned one for all of us.

Tired With A Capital T

Oh, it's been an exciting weekend of sewing.

I started with nothing and have finished with 5 T shirts (1 for M, 2 for the lawn surfers and 2 keepers). The wearable ones (photos below) are in a super stretchy patterned rayon jersey (scored it for a song cuz it's, um, loud). The second wearable is actually made of a cotton blend (I suspect). It's the delicious fabric S & N brought back for me from Italy. I only wish I'd done it justice. I fear my version is too big and the neck facing is wonky. Mind you, on me it's so low cut no one's going to be looking at the seam binding.

In addition to these finished items (and all of the fab learning that was accomplished in making them), I now have at my access a completed crew neck sloper. From that:

• I somewhat successfully modified the side curves and waist length. I know I could do more. I like a really fitted T shirt.
  
• I created a V neck version and a U neck version (albeit the U neck needs some tweaking). Frankly, it's slightly too low, which would be ok if it were tighter, strangely. Given that the shirt isn't super fitted anywhere, the chest is a bit too "open".
• From the sloper sleeve, I devised 3 others - a cap sleeve, a "midway sleeve" (short but not as short as the cap) and a 3/4 sleeve. I fooled around with the 3/4 for reasons of fabric shortage, which is why the patterned T has an odd-length, but flattering, sleeve.
• I developed a couple of binding options I can use on the necklines too.
  

Let me preface this by saying that my dress form has a linebacker quality when I insert the arms. Alas, when I don't insert them, the sleeves hang like rags. So I'm going with the lesser of 2 evils...



I couldn't get a good shot of the Italian fabric one (below) to save my life. The left-side wonk of the binding is much more notable here than in real life - I swear! I also must have cut an additional 2 inches off the side seams but this fabric doesn't have a lot of snap.



Here's a close up of the lovely fabric - and the faux cover stitching I did:

You should know that it looks a little tunnel-y here but, again, it's the photo. I don't know why this top defied modern photography.

Please say something nice. I worked really hard.