Another Ruched T

As I mentioned in my last post, I am doing some “selfish sewing” although I really don’t consider it selfish and I don’t like to call it that. In a time where people always talk about self care, this is how I take care of myself. I rarely sew for others (been there, done that) and it wasn’t something I particularly enjoyed (with some exceptions). But, I learn best when I sew for myself. I can try things on as many times as it takes and try again without feeling like I don’t know what I’m doing. I can change my mind about certain things and not put pressure on myself to draft my own patterns or have a necessarily perfect result. So for my first #decemberbdaysew, I chose to make this Angela Wolf Patterns Ruched T.

I used fabric that I bought during my fabric haul a while back (this would be a good time to use some of that!). I’ll link this and some other options below. This has a four-way stretch which makes it perfect for this pattern. And for those who may be familiar with this, I used the medium twisted neck option for the shirt (and I did not do any ruching which is why it’s a longer T-shirt). This is such a terrific pattern and I think I will make another that I can use as a long-sleeve work-out top to go with some leggings I made previously.

This took a couple of hours to make. I like that there are sleeve (or no sleeve) options that I reviewed here. There are also some neck options that give you a standard T-shirt neckline or what I’ve done here. And there is the option to ruch the sides and/or sleeves of the shirt – I did neither for this one.

This is another favorite make of mine that I can wear with jeans or sweats/athleisure wear. Or I can wear it with a skirt or dress pants. Now, I’m off to probably make another one of these as I mentioned, then, who knows what’s next. I’ll decide when I figure out what I need most!

*The following are some affiliate links for the fabric above and some additional options.

Telio stretch ITY knit here. That’s the same as above.

This one is the same as what I used, but with red flowers.

The link for the fabric above is here.

A Tale of Two T-Shirts

Many sewists use the McCall’s 6886 dress pattern as a sloper/base for making different styles of the dress that’s featured.

I decided to take this pattern and use it to make a T-shirt. I saw this done years ago, and figured I would give it a try. I have been trying to do more things like this (pattern hacking) in order to stop buying so many patterns, especially since I’ve noticed that there seems to be very little difference in some styles. Besides, you can make your own unique garment by putting together only those elements that you want. I’ve also noticed that this process gives me a better understanding of patterns, my own body, what looks best on me, and how garments are made.

This red top was made using View A which is the round/crew neck version.

M6886

This Halloween top was made using View D neckline which is more of a scoop-neck. The only thing I changed for these tops, besides shortening from dress lengths, was to attach a separate neckband rather than just hemming the neck. In order to do this, I decided on the width I wanted for the finished neckband, added a seam allowance (1/4″), then measured the length of the opening. I made the neckband about 2″ shorter so that it would pull a bit and not be loose. I probably could have made it a bit shorter, but these seem to have worked out well.

Each garment I make, especially those that I’ve changed in some way, teaches me something. I improve my skills. I become more patient (LOL). I continually think about what I can do differently next time to either improve the fit or change the look completely. I learn to take a few more chances with my sewing which makes everything better and gives me a more unique garment. I encourage you all to take some chances with your sewing as well. It doesn’t have to be something drastic unless you want it to be!

Making the Ruched T (Angela Wolf Patterns)

I have been looking at this pattern for a long time. I’ve seen so many nice versions of it using the basic pattern as a base, that I really wanted to give it a try. So I finally bought it. The thing I like about Angela’s patterns is that they are made to make as is, or can be pretty easily hacked.

For this one, I made some adjustments to get the look I wanted, although for future makes, there are a couple more changes I want to make to the pattern.

The pattern has sleeve variations, so for this one, I made a sleeveless tank. I left off the ruching and shortened the length by about 3″.

This was the same adjustments but adding the sleeves. I do think the neckband should be a bit more narrow (a change I’ll make next time). and I’ll change the neckline a bit on the sleeveless one to give it more of a tank top look. But I’m very happy with the fit and so happy I got this pattern. I figured out how to make a bust adjustment on a knit pattern with the help of this book from Colette patterns here .

My goal is to make this one of those TNT patterns that I can use. I’m still working on the adjustments as mentioned, but I also want to encourage you to give something a try that you’ve always wanted to do. Sometimes as sewers, we are so busy making something for an occasion or client that we don’t take the time to experiment or try something that could end up benefitting us in the long run. I’ve been trying to improve my garment fitting and selection this year, so I’ve been getting a lot of practice in those areas. I encourage you to take the time, if you can, to have some fun and try something new (at the very least, new to you)!

*Here is an affiliate link for the Ruched T if you would ike the PDF or the print version of this pattern: https://www.angelawolfpatterns.com/the-ruched-t-aw1123-digital-pdf-version/

https://www.angelawolfpatterns.com/the-ruched-t-top-aw1123-paper-pattern/

*Use code DENISE10 for a 10% discount on either pattern!