Pattern Review: GBSB Breton Tee
Here is my sewing pattern review of the Breton Tee hack from The Great British Sewing Bee: From Stitch to Style book.
Here is my sewing pattern review of the Breton Tee hack from The Great British Sewing Bee: From Stitch to Style book.
Here is my pattern review for the shortie PJs from the Make it Simple book! Details Name: Juno PJs Variation: Shorts and short sleeved – with cuffs from Tabitha variation Design House: Tilly and the Buttons / Tilly Walnes’ book Make it Simple Size I made: 4 Fabric I used up some yellow ponte fabric which I originally used for my yellow Kinder cardigan for the shorts. The top was made from a nice single knit fabric I found in my local Trago shop. The yellow ribbing was from My Fabrics. Difficulty I found this a nice simple make overall and would recommend to confident beginners. The only bit which may be tricky is the neckband as it may need adjusting. I followed the practice I learned from another pattern where you machine tack the neckband on to begin with to check it isn’t too baggy before going for it with a smaller stitch or overlocker! It turned out I didn’t need to adjust it but it is good to be safe. The waistband on the shorts is made in a similar fashion to the neckband. I was concerned that I might find this a bit tricky as it can be easy to stretch elastic inconsistently, but it turned out to be fine. For the shorts, you must adjust the trouser pattern from the trouser version, but the instructions on how to do this are really clear and I found this very easy to do. Clarity For the shorts, I followed the longhand instructions. For the top, I followed the checklist instructions, but referred to the longhand version as required. Both sets of directions were clear. Design and Fit I’m happy with the fit. As it is made from a knit fabric, I didn’t worry about adjusting it. There are clear instructions on how to measure out the elastic for the waistband. You decide how long the shorts are, so I opted for and inside leg seam of 12cm, which I think is about double the version shown. This length is just right for me; not too short and not too long. I think the ribbed cuffs on the top are a nice addition and complements the shorts. Time Taken The book suggests 50 minutes to cut out and 2 hours to make. I took 1 hour 30 minutes to cut out and 3 hours to make. I couldn’t cut my shorts on the fold as I was using a remnant, and I added the cuffs to the sleeves, which probably added a bit of time onto the total. However, I think I am just a slower sewist than those that helped create the guide times! Conclusion I’m happy with the end result and I might made the Tabitha t-shirt on its own one day as it would go under dungarees or a pinafore nicely. It is like the Peak t-shirt by Wendy Ward in that you can embellish it and adapt it to your own style. I think I…
I realised the other day that I never reviewed the Gable top pattern. Better late than never! Also, it means that I have lots of experience in wearing it! Details Pattern name: Gable Top Variation/Style: View 3 without the cuff Design House: Jennifer Lauren Handmade Size I made: 12 Fabric Stripey stretch fabric remnant from The Knitting & Stitching Show in 2017. Difficulty This is a really simple top to make consisting of only 4 pieces of fabric. The main challenge for me was the fabric I chose as it was very stretchy. You may wish to take extra care on the neckline, which I would argue is the trickiest part. Clarity It is very simple although I did get a bit confused at the neckline. However, Jennifer Lauren has a video to help you on this to use in tandem with the written instructions. Design and Fit The top has come out quite tight. I am not sure if this is the pattern or the fabric (or both). I am not used to wearing very fitted garments so this is probably where most of my discomfort stems from! It's also very long but I may have stretched it or the fabric I have chosen has encouraged this. I will have to see how much negative ease the pattern has if I make it again. Design-wise, it is the perfect staple to go under a pinafore or dungarees - such as the Ivy Pinafore by Jennifer Lauren! Time Taken I'd say you can make this in half a day. It's very simple and super quick if you don't have any stripe matching to do! Conclusion This version feels a bit too fitted for me so I will probably make it in a larger size next time, or perhaps choose a different fabric which is not so clingy. However, I have worn it lots with my pinafore collection (yes, it has turned into a collection... expect more pinafore reviews!) https://youtu.be/hWdOmArkQ5o
May ended up being quite a productive month for me craft-wise, and I’m pleased to say I’ve been able to tick off some of my #2018makenine list! (more…)