Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Two Turquoise Tees: BCT Chevrons and Sewasaurus!


Having finished my very involved faire garb, I needed something quick and easy to ease me back into sewing. I fished out this striped turquoise jersey from the stash, and inspired by Steph of 3hourspast's February hack of the Blank Canvas Tee, I made this chevron tee. I didn't think I could pull off the cutout in the front, so I opted to just use the back view for both the front and back. I also shortened the sleeves and ignored the binding, instead just folding over and topstitching to hem the neck and armholes. I didn't bother finishing the bottom because I intend to always have this tucked in, but I may go back and add a strip to the bottom à la Renfrew if I feel particularly inspired some day.

I'm pretty pleased with my stripe-matching.
I need to work on my v-necks though. Folding over doesn't work so well at the point, so both the front and back have awkward bits.

Iffy point foldover. I realized belatedly that I made this wrong side out.
Oh well. I doubt anyone will really notice. And if they do, hopefully they're
not so snarky as to point it out to me?
Summary:
Fabric: Questionable content knit from a thrift store; I used about 2/3 yd and still have 1/2 yd left for yet another tee? How many turquoise-and-white striped tees does a person really need?
Notions: none
Techniques used: Cutting (and sewing) on the bias, stripe matching (mostly successfully)
Hours: A mere two! An hour for fussy cutting and pinning, but the actual sewing went pretty quickly.
Will you make this again? Not this particular combination, no, but chevrons, yes, and BCT hack, yes.
Total cost: $2
Final thoughts: Eternal gratefulness to Steph for generously releasing her pattern for our use! Also, wondering why I ever bought this color, as it doesn't match anything else in my wardrobe except this black skirt (coincidentally sprung into being at the same time as my previous BCT hacks). Oh wait, I know, I was just so excited to find actual yardage (and not just another sheet) at the thrift store I just snatched it up without thinking too hard about its place in my closet color scheme.

This tee was also intended to be a low-commitment piece to warm up for the chevron dress that I want to make for the Sew Weekly pink challenge. I'll be using Vintage Vogue 8789 to make a Horrockses-inspired dress. Wish my cutting and pinning luck -- this is not a time to be committing sewing sins!

Obviously my drawing cut out a dress several sizes too big for her, not unlike most sewing pattern models on the pattern envelopes. And she's holding her arms out weirdly to help it stay on and look like it fits properly, thereby deceiving us pattern buyers.

But because I'm still a crazed sewasaurus rex at heart, and because I found a brand new tee at the thrift store (with nothing on it, so a literal blank canvas!), I decided to go ahead and make myself a "screenprint" tee with my sewasaurus rex graphic on it. 

Reusing my freezer paper stencil, because I'm too lazy to cut another one. I had to throw it away after this, though, as I tore it when pulling it off. :( You'll also notice that I was too lazy to wash the Greek yogurt lid that I use as a paint palette after making Oona's bag. When I'm lazy, I'm really lazy.

Finished tee, sad nighttime bathroom mirror shot.

That's two turquoise tees in two days. Good thing I like this color, even if doesn't really match anything in my wardrobe except black bottoms.

18 comments:

  1. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. Can I say again that I'm just so, so glad that Ruggy invented that word?

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  2. I love your strip-shirt!
    I'm going to sew soon very similar model. It is planned for a long time and the fabric are purchased.

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    1. Oh my, I just checked out your blog and sewing is AMAZING! Your version of this is going to blow mine out of the water!!

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  3. Very cute Sewasaurus rex top! The chevron top is fantastic! You did an amazing job matching it up.

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    1. Thank you! I tried sewasaurusly hard to get the stripes right :)

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  4. i've been waiting for the "sewasaurus rex" t-shirt since you made the bag :-) i'm on a t-shirt kick myself--you describe it perfectly, "quick and easy to ease back into sewing."

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    1. Sometimes it is seriously hard to rein myself in and not just make billions of tees...instead I just make lots of dresses :) I need to make pants instead!

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  5. Yes, I definitely need to figure out the freezer paper stenciling. I miss being able to make my own T-shirt designs. Your sewasuarus rex is just too awesome, and your stripe matching is quite fantastic.

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    1. Thanks! I'd love to see what t-shirt designs you come up with...freezer paper stencils really aren't difficult at all, just tedious to cut out the image.

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  6. SO CUTE. I love them both! I need to make a sewasuarus rex, like, yesterday. Damn this full time job of mine...

    strugglesewsastraightseam.wordpress.com

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    1. Email me...I'd be totally up for making one for you if you would like :)

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  7. Both of those are adorable! I suppose I really should give in and make myself a Sewasaurus Rex shirt, too...

    With the V-neck and chevrons---What about finishing the neck edge (at least at CF and CB) before doing the seam? Or at least angling the fold-over part out (since it's not cut on the fold)so that it would still meet in the middle?

    ... not that I've tried either of these methods. I've only done banded V-necks.

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    1. I think what happened is that I wasn't even expecting this to work out; it was going to be a more experiment in chevrons than any kind of serious shirt, or else I would have been less half-assed about finishing it. I think I'll go back and see about fixing the fold. And in the future, the V8789 I'm working on has a good strategy for cutting an all-in-one bodice+facing when making a V-neck, so I think I'll keep that in mind for next time.

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  8. Aww I love these T's. I really need to get into making some as we have so much tsirting in the stash that I really need to start using it... and these are in teh best colours :D

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  9. GAH! Your t-shirt is AMAAAAAAAAAAZING. It is like a dream come true to see that in real life. You are just too fabulous for words, my friend!

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  10. Love the pattern your thinking of using. The tops look great! XxxX http://thesecondhandrose.blogspot.co.uk/

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