Block Tee 02 (new drafting)

Pattern/Technique: Block Tee (new drafting) in size 22 by Paper Theory Patterns

Modifications: None, though slightly winged it on the sleeve & bottom hems. Sleeve hem: folded 1/2” then 1 1/2”. Bottom hem: folded 1/2” then 1 3/4”.

Materials: 1.5 yds of grey striped cotton shirting from Joann Fabrics

New skills: n/a

Lessons: I tried something new where I batch cut a bunch of projects before starting to sew, and I think that’s a really good workflow change for me because I find cutting to be pretty mentally draining due to pattern tetris and maneuvering fabric around my cutting table.

What I'd do differently: After reading the description of the collar, I suspect I may have done the bound collar incorrectly on both Block tees I’ve made. Next time I make this I want to look at some more finished garment photos & look up a tutorial to verify.

I feel like my right angle seams on the sleeve insertion were better executed on my last Block tee, so next time I want to be more careful about measuring and clipping the seam allowances.

I don’t love the fit with this fabric. The stiffness of the cotton shirting paired with the oversized fit is causing some collapsing around the shoulders and underarms, while the bottom hem is flaring out. Interestingly, I compared the finished dimensions of the Block tee with the Seamwork Bo top and the Bo is actually wider than the Block across the bottom hem and arms, but because I made the Bo in a fabric with some drape the overall fit looks a lot nicer. Might be worth retrying it in a linen/rayon blend.

Care: Machine wash cold, lay flat to dry.

Epilogue: (May 13, 2023) I haven’t been reaching for this shirt to wear at all due to the drape/fit issues caused by the stiffness of this fabric. I pulled it out of rotation and plan on reclaiming the fabric for small projects.

Zadie Jumpsuit 02

Pattern/Technique: Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory Patterns, size 22

Modifications: Removed 2” from crotch rise, added 2” to the bottom of the pant leg. Cut size 28 belt for extra length. Decreased bodice length by 1” to have waist sit more closely at my natural waist.

Materials: 3m Black Washed Linen from Blackbird Fabrics

New skills: n/a

Lessons: I figured out a new technique for sewing even pleats: I stuck a forked pin vertically into the pleat to hold it in place while pressing it.

Something went squirrely with the pleat placement on one side of the garment such that they were lined up perfectly on 3 of the pleats, but the last front pleat was 1/2” off. No idea how it happened, but I fiddled with it to make it line up, and sewed a “secret pleat” at the side seam of the garment to deal with the extra fabric. I didn’t run into this problem the first time I sewed Zadie, but it’s good to know I can come up with a resourceful fix when stuff like this happens.

I need 2 strips of bias tape to finish the neckline.

Because the front bodice/pant edges are cut on an angle, you should not try to align them when pinning. Instead, your alignment point should account for the 1cm seam allowance.

What I'd do differently: Be a bit more careful with marking pleat locations when transferring the pattern.

Care: Hand wash cold, hang to dry, iron low