Quite some time ago I realized my favourite t-shirt was getting old and worn out. Of course as a sewist my first instinct was to make my own, but this tee was made from 100% cotton and I couldn't find anything nice enough to make one from. That was until Sitka Fabrics announced a pre-order for 100% organic cotton jersey - wowy I was excited!! I truly love anything she brings in, so I knew this was my chance to try making some basic tee's. Since it's hard to tell over a computer screen what something will feel like in person, I played it safe and ordered a little of 4 different colours (I regretted this later). I decided that I would use this fabric to sew 5 different t-shirt patterns and do a blog showing their differences. When the fabric came it was delightful!! So incredibly soft, and just the right amount of stretch (40% horizontal and 25% vertical mechanical stretch). I was ready with my patterns, washed everything up, and got to cutting!
**I should mention here that fabric and patterns were all paid for by me - I was not given anything for the purposes of this review (unless of course it was a free pattern, but we will get to that in a minute).
Choosing 5 patterns was a task on its own - there are SO many amazing t-shirt patterns out there. With the help of some friends, I decided to focus on similar types of shirts (and that narrowed it to about 46789 options). I don't want to get into the pattern details too much here, because you can always look them up yourself, but we will go over some basics. All patterns I chose had in set sleeves, and I chose the scoop neck option if available (I'm a sucker for a scoop neck).
For each pattern I went with my size based on the size chart, grading where necessary. These are the 5 tee's completed, with further analysis below. Please keep in mind that this page loads best on a PC rather than mobile.
Pattern #1 - DIBY Club - Anything But Basic Women's Tee
FREE My Size: 8 graded to 10 Options I chose: Scoop neck, short sleeve
The basics of the pattern:
Sizes 00-36
Neckline - high crew, low crew, scoop
Sleeve - short, elbow, 3/4, long
Seam Allowance 3/8"
Requires a knit with 2-way stretch
I truly LOVE DIBY patterns. I have tested for them and there's a ton of work, effort, and passion that goes into these patterns. Funnily enough, after I had finished all the tee's, I was explaining the fit of this one to a friend and I found myself saying something along the lines of "it's not just a basic tee" - which is exactly why this is probably my top pick. It's perfect for casual wear, but you could easily wear this out and still look great! It lives up to it's name 100%.
Fabric is: 150gsm GOTS certified 100% organic cotton jersey in Berry from Sitka Fabrics.
Pattern #2 - Patty Doo - Ava
2,99 €
My Size: F Options I chose: Round neck
Basics of the pattern:
Sizes 32-54 Loose-fit (so I probably should have sized down)
Neckline - round or v-neck
Optional chest pocket
Seam Allowance equivalent to about 1/4"
This is an international pattern designer who I LOVE. Her patterns are super cheap, and well drafted. They are NOT in english, and the instructions are lacking (or non-existent), but she does video tutorials which are super fun, and the seam allowance is included (YAY!). Unfortunately, this was my least favourite pattern, mostly because it ended up huge on me. It will be perfect as an around the house, big baggy tee, but it's not much good for wearing out.
Fabric is 150gsm GOTS certified 100% organic cotton jersey in Indigo from Sitka Fabrics.
$10 USD
My Size: Medium Options I chose: Scoop neck, tee length, cap sleeve (I hemmed instead of doing a cuff).
Basics of the pattern:
Sizes XXS - 4X
Two options - fitted or loose (each of these patterns is purchased separately which is one of my only complaints
Neckline - scoop, boat, crew, and v-neck (I chose scoop, as usual)
Sleeve options - cap, short, elbow, 3/4, long
Length options - tee, tunic, dress
Optional elbow patches, and/or chest pocket
Seam allowance 1/2"
Rad Patterns has been really popular lately, not only for their amazing patterns, but for inclusivity, and so of course I wanted to add one of their patterns to this round up. What was unique about this pattern is the way the hemming is done. There is a strip of fabric sewn onto the hem, rolled under and top stitched. I was skeptical at first, but I really liked the finish that offered. I am a HUGE fan of a scoop neck (you might have guessed by now haha), but this one is LOW. I'm not sure if it would have hugged my chest slightly more if I used a fabric with elastic content or not. For the record, I will be trying this one again with another fabric type in the future, because the low scoop neck is amazing.
Fabric is 150gsm GOTS certified 100% organic cotton jersey in Petrol Blue from Sitka Fabrics. This colour is incredible in person.
Pattern #4 - Greenstyle Green Tee
FREE (via Facebook group) My Size: Medium Options I chose: Scoop neck
Basics of the pattern:
Sizes XXS - 3XL
Semi-fitted
Neckline scoop or v-neck
Seam allowance 3/8"
This pattern is a semi-fitted tee, so I should have sized up because I don't like to wear fitted clothing. For the purposes of this blog though, I wanted to show the different fits of the shirts, and needed to stay with my size based on measurements. That makes this one of my least favourites for fit, but if you asked someone else, it might be their favourite. So if you want something fitted, this is your tee! **This is a little more fitted in person than this picture depicts and I suspect if you were to use something like a cotton/lycra jersey, it would be even more fitted. Fabric is 150gsm GOTS certified 100% organic cotton jersey in Denim from Sitka Fabrics.
Pattern #5 - Hey June Union St. Tee
$10USD My Size: Medium
Options I chose: Scoop neck, short sleeve
Basics of the pattern:
Sizes XXS - 3XL
Neckline - scoop, crew, or v-neck
Sleeve - short, elbow, 3/4, long
Optional chest pocket
Seam allowance 3/8"
Recommends fabric with at least 30%, and ideally 50-100% stretch
This was another of my favourites. I love Hey June patterns, the drafting and fit are always spot on for me. The neckline was pretty much perfect for me, the tee itself wasn't too tight or too loose either. I will definitely be making this one again in the future.
Fabric is 150gsm GOTS certified 100% organic cotton jersey in Denim from Sitka Fabrics.
Feel free to message me if there's anything you'd like to know that I didn't cover here. Next up, I'd like to do raglans! Until then...happy sewing!