Rebel, rebel.

Suggested fabrics. I never did like a suggestion, preferring instead to go the non-traditional route. Sometimes it has worked out brilliantly. Other times, well....it seems like there have been more "other times" as of late.

I have never been known to not be stubborn. It is just a thing. Once I get something in my head, that's it. I need to see it to the end. Even if that means a spectacular fail.

I really, really like ponte knit. And after wearing the $%^& out of my two ponte Hot Cocoa Sweaters, my thought process probably went something a little like this:

I wish I could wear these all year....wait! I know! I will make t-shirts out of this delicious fabric so I CAN! At which point I went out and bought copious amounts of ponte knit fabrics in my favourite colours and patterns.

This brings us my last me-made, the Bronte t-shirt, again, made out of ponte. Don't get me wrong. I like the shirt and I wear it. But I don't love it. It bunches up and it is too hot to wear in the summer and I have to constantly move my bra straps from showing. In the end, not a spectacular fail, but not a win either (And to add insult to injury, the skirt that I made to go with it, my meta circle skirt, though cute, definitely should not have been made out of a quilting cotton, even one as drapey as that. It just sits weird and feels too thin).

So here I am with the shirt that FINALLY made me realize that maybe I should forego my non-traditional route and start paying attention to suggestions. Just a little.

I had seen a ton of tees on Pinterest that I loved such as the following:

Source

I just love that loose shape that is flowy without making the wearer look "wide". I love that the sleeves seem to fall at the perfect point, I love the sleeve cuffs, and I really like the high-low hem, especially the curved one. I had watched this "easy video" on copying clothes. I figured, what the hell, let's give it a shot.

I copied the body and sleeves of one of my looser tees and the scoop neck of another. I used the ponte leftover from my Bronte (which, I guess, is leftover from my mom's and MIL's mother's day gifts from last year), and the sleeves and pocket is leftover from Harley's/now Sweet Dee's bed. I am really happy with how my top stitching is on this. I guess that is something?

I like the pocket, but without the extra stitching. Unfortunately, the inner row of stitching is what is keeping the pocket fabric from fraying like cray-cray. I should have just zig-zagged before top-stitching. Womp womp.

The sleeves are too tight and the top is definitely not flowy on me, so, although I finished the top (to the donate pile!), I didn't bother hemming the bottom of the top, instead putting some bartacks at the sides and leaving it as it. I think it works.

Oh, and the armpits are pinching in all gross-like. Ugh.

So what the gosh darn mommy fudger happened?! Well, wrong fabric choice is the biggest culprit here, obviously. I have since done a thorough search of patterns that I like and that--*gasp*--actually call for ponte knit. I have narrowed things down to driftless, axel, and morris. I also have Linden at the printers and, of course, there is always my trusty hot cocoa (I won't lie, I've also mentally added coco to the list as I have the perfect black and white stripe ponte sitting in my stash, however, I've seen people make linden sweatshirt dresses--top left--and that may end up being what happens).

At the same time, I've actually bought some nice jerseys for tee making--another *gasp*! I finished a project for a friend and had a ton of leftover drapey lucious rayon jersey, and I picked up some of this linen jersey when mood had it on sale a few months ago.

My second big mistake is cheaping out when it comes to a pattern. I just need to suck it up and buy one...no more DIY. I've since been on the hunt for a great tee pattern and have decided I like all of Grainline's, but can't decided which one. I think I like penny the best but worry it won't look nice tucked in to a skirt (also, practically no one online has made one?!). I was leaning towards the lark, until I saw all the knit scouts online (here). Scout it is.

All in all, I have decided to stop rebelling and give in (well, I suppose with the exception of scout ;)). I'm going to stop half-assing things and start full-assing them. Full-ass all the way. Because a tight weird tee with pinchy armpits sucks when you have limited sewing time before school starts up again in September. And even moreso when the rest of your wardrobe is literally falling apart and threadbare.

Go free wee one! Find a new home through the Salvation Army! Godspeed.

What about you? What sewing blunders have you had to learn from? What is your favourite tee pattern and why? (Let me learn from your mistakes lol)

{Rebel, rebel.}