Part of my #MakeNine2020 and an overall quest for me personally has been to find my perfect t-shirt pattern. A TNTee, if you will (so sorry…). Given this week is SewcialistsTNTee midi challenge, it seemed like the perfect time to document my progress so far!
I have had one or two ready to wear t-shirts over the years which have been just perfect. I feel like comfortable casual wear that makes you feel you look good is the overall goal of life!
So what is my perfect t-shirt? I think it is as follows:
- V-Neck
- Fitted around the shoulders and bust
- Looser around the waist and hip
- Medium-Long length
- Drapey (I know, this isn’t really “fit” or pattern).
- Possibly with a back seam for shaping (this is a feature of the RTW one I love, but unsure if it’s important)
- Possibly somehow different to make it not just a basic v-neck t-shirt, though that’s a bit contradictory to my current mental image
The RTW one I love is here:
It’s a thin, drapey fabric (though not see through), has a deliberately unfinished neck binding on the soft v-neck, set in sleeves and a seam down the back.
So I have started finding out what I like in a tee pattern with these makes:
Pattern Union Molly Tee 
Pattern Union Molly Tee 
Style Arc Como Knit Top 
MimiG Saldana Tee 
Hey June Union St Tee 
Hey June Union St Tee
First up (chronologically) was the Pattern Union Molly Tee (disclaimer – I pattern tested this one). Good fit, though doesn’t quite have the drape around the waist / hips. Obviously it’s also not a v-neck, though I could change it to be. This pattern is a TNT pattern (my post on these makes is here), but it isn’t the tee I am looking for in this mission.
Next shown is the Style Arc Como Knit Top (unblogged as yet). I really really really like this top and plan to make more for work. It’s a double layer on the front, which makes it feel nice, and I like the combo of v-neck with higher collar. However, it is clearly not a classic tee (to be fair, it doesn’t claim to be) and doesn’t have the drape, given it’s a double layer on front.
I recently blogged the MimiG Saldana Tee shown here, which was a total fail. I was so sad this didn’t work for me – go look at how fabulous MimiG looks in her pink version at the link above and forget mine! Having had no drape in the other two, this is way too much tenty drape. It’s already been cut up into something else.
Finally, the Hey June Union St Tee. I have already blogged the two versions shown here and definitely like them. I have also made another (to be blogged soon). It’s pretty close, but I still have a few issues with the neckband and ending up with puckers around the neckband. So it’s not quite perfect (or I am not!).
So at the end of part one, the Union St Tee is currently leading the pack in Mission TNTee. Am going to use #SewcialistsTNTee challenge to give me ideas for which patterns to try next – more to come soon!