Supplement 334 - Model #207 - 2024
Hello again Lutterloh fans. I liked the look of this crossover style shirt but I'm afraid I misinterpreted the clues I should have gotten from the fashion drawing. I was going for a crossover front style T-shirt and although this blouse pattern is marked with the knit symbol it was not the best starting point.
Pattern Hints:
There was no problem enlarging this pattern to my size. My problems began before I ever started plotting the dots for the pattern. This pattern is labeled with "NN", the symbol for a blouse. I should have looked more closely at the fashion drawing for the clues about the fit.
The red arrow in the picture above points to a looser, blouse like, fit. The shoulders are also wider allowing for a looser fit in the upper chest area. The picture below shows the pattern pieces and back view of this pattern. The back view shows a rather boxy shape to this blouse. You can see that there is not much shaping at the waist. The sleeve is also loose and flowing, not at all like a T-shirt. I should have known better but plowed ahead anyway.
Design Changes:
I initially sewed up this shirt with no design changes except to narrow and shorten the sleeves. I did end up with a boxy, loose blouse in a knit fabric. Because I was hoping for more of a close fitting T-shirt I ended up taking in both side seams by ¾". This constitutes a reduction in circumference of 3 full inches. This should give you an idea of how much ease is added to this pattern. The shoulders also seemed wide and square to me. If I had adjusted the slope on the shoulder seam I could have probably eliminated the wrinkling around my armpits. When I realized this shirt was also a little shorter than I like, despite adding my regular amount to the length, I knew I had to look for another pattern.
Fabric Used/Suggested:
For my light blue shirt I used a lightweight fine ribbed knit. Obviously this was not the best choice since this is supposed to be a blouse. I did see some lovely stretch chiffon while shopping at JoAnn Fabrics the other day. This is probably closer to what the designer had in mind for this pattern. Perhaps a rayon or bamboo knit with more drape could work as well.
Closing Hints:
Even though this shirt didn't turn out exactly as I had planned I will still wear it. I love the color and it is very comfortable so it has that going for it. I'm sure if I look back further in my Lutterloh supplements I'll find a T-shirt pattern that is closer to my vision of the perfect front crossover T-shirt. In the mean time I have a nice wearable muslin in a color that suits me.
Until next time then, happy sewing everyone,
Ann in Calif.
