My favorite T

 Basic T turned cowl neck tunic

Happy New Year everyone!

I have stopped searching for the perfect T shirt pattern. For me it's this shirt pattern #254 in Supplement 282 from 2011.

You may recall seeing this same pattern reviewed last year in this post.

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive! 

In that post I determined the fit for my favorite T and then added one wide godet to a center back seam. When I started looking for a pattern for a knit cowl neck top I realized the most recent cowl pattern I could think of was for a woven. Not to worry, I already have a well fitting knit top pattern. Why not alter it to the shape I need? 

The picture above is from one of my favorite pattern making books, Pattern Making by the Flat-Pattern Method by Norma Hollen and Carolyn Kundel. Another book I consulted to transform my basic pattern is called Patternmaking For Fashion Design by Helen Joseph-Armstrong. I believe these were both textbooks at one time. Parts of them are fairly technical but there are also some basic operations in them that anyone should be able to accomplish with just a little patience and some basic tools that you're already using for your Lutterloh patterns. It really is eye opening to see that with a little manipulation of a basic pattern you can truly end up with a wardrobe of different patterns.

For my cowl I took this pattern one step further by opening the slashes at the shoulders for small pleats. That step is well demonstrated in the book too so it really was just a matter of marking the pleats well for when I sewed the pattern together. 

Below is a close up of my pattern laid out on the fabric. You'll see that I've drawn my cutting line in chalk.

This is the outside, bottom corner of the bodice back. Notice I've started drawing a slightly curved hem at the bottom. When you don't add seam allowances to your pattern until cutting, it allows you to change the length and even the shape of the hem of your pattern for each project. You can also adjust the seam allowances for each different fabric based on the amount of stretch of various fabrics. All of these changes to your pattern can be accomplished with the drawing tools that you use every time you enlarge one of your Lutterloh patterns.

The sleeve is from yet another pattern that I've already reviewed here:

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

After all why reinvent the whole pattern when our Lutterloh patterns make it so easy to interchange the sleeves and such? They're both knit patterns and I'd already drawn them both to the same size. Presto, 3/4 length sleeves! Now when I see a pattern or a top that I'd like to copy I think carefully about whether or not it really is just a slight variation of my basic T. I certainly have enough fabric to make a whole wardrobe of T's. ; )

Do you ever change your patterns to copy another style you've seen? Feel free to leave your comments below. I'd really love to see everyone using their Lutterloh patterns to their full potential!

Keep on sewing folks,

Ann in Calif.