Tag: Sewing tops

I’m always thinking a lot about my wardrobe, and it struck me that although I had 2 chartreuse dresses that I loved a lot, I didn’t have any separates in that shade- so I present my Wasabi-coloured Tarlee T-Shirt!

I did a deep-dive into my stash and pulled out this lightweight-bamboo knit from MaaiDesign in Australia. I bought this wasabi bamboo from there maybe 3+ years ago, and it’s been sitting, waiting for the perfect t-shirt pattern (and for my knit neckline proficiency to improve)!

This exact shade isn’t in stock any longer, and the bamboo that I’ve ordered from MaaiDesign since then is much heftier than this lovely, slinky, but also rather clingy fabric.

Size and pattern details: My current measurements are 48″ bust, 57″ high hip and 54″ low hip. I made a Size E Tarlee T-Shirt at the shoulders, grading out to a Size G by the hip (which is exactly what the size chart would recommend). I lengthened the sleeve an inch, or so, but might go back and removed what I added. I also graded out the sleeve- starting at Size E at the sleeve head, and grading up to a Size F by the time it hits my bicep- this wasn’t strictly necessary, but I like the extra room.

Fabric Consumption: I ordered 2 metres of this fabric all those years ago, and had enough fabric for this tee, even though I cut one of the sleeves 3 times to try and match what might have been an imperceptable right-and-wrong side… Since I was using my serger to construct this (including serging the neckband on!?!) I didn’t really want to get it attached and then decide that I could definitely spot the different weaves.

I wore this exact ensemble to my local coffee shop this morning, and the server commented on how she loved my bright combination. It is brighter than my usual go-to combos, but it’s also supposed to be 30C (86F) here today- so I suppose you could say that I’m dressing for summer!

I dug into my stash for this long-sleeve Tarlee T-Shirt! I made this during the pattern production process, and it’s a size larger than my bust measurement would recommend, so is a slightly more relaxed fit than my final version.

I love a striped t-shirt, and have quite a few RTW striped tees in my wardrobe that are looking a bit worse for wear.

I’m wearing this striped tee with my bright pink Glebe Pants (View B)- you can read more about them here.

Fabric Consumption & Size detials: I used less than 2 metres of fabric of 150cm wide fabric for this t-shirt. I wasn’t terribly careful about matching the stripes, which probably helped me with fabric consumption. I’ve got a 48″ bust and 57″ hip/stomach, this is a straight-size F.

Pattern Matching: Although I didn’t try particularly hard to match the stripes at the shoulders, and sleeves, I did ensure that all my pattern pieces ended at the bottom of a white stripe- that way, I could fold that stripe up as a seam-allowance and a black stripe would be at the bottom of the various bits.
I think this looks nice (it looks quite intentional and final), and as Tara from Paper Theory recently pointed out on her stories, having the lighter colour around the hems (and especially at the bottom of the sleeves) means your top could end up looking grubby sooner!

My Measurements: I’m a 43″ waist and 54″ true hip but I’m around 57″ at my largest point around my belly. I made a straight Size F for both the Tarlee T-Shirt and the Glebe Pants!