Here's the muslin, after a night of sleeping in it. My camera is hating photographing this color for whatever reason and it looks red. It's really more magenta, very close to the pink color in the PJ pants. But that's neither here nor there — let's talk about the actual top.
It's very long and I've tugged it up on my hips so it's not hanging as I'd really prefer, making it look baggy and messy. But overall, the fit is very good. The only place I need to adjust for the next, and non-PJ, version is to lower the back neckline. I had this same problem with the Sweetheart top and after thinking about it a few minutes, I realized that I've had this problem with most (or even all?) Jalie tops that I've made. Does Jalie draft for a rounded back, which I do not have? I don't know. But I have to guess yes, because I don't have this problem with other pattern companies or even RTW.
I made no alterations to the pattern except to blend between sizes as I traced. I started with a straight CC (16) for the neck, shoulders and armhole height and moved out at the sideseam edge of the armhole to the EE, and then stayed with the EE all the way down. Oh wait, I did make one actual alteration, but I did this before I cut out my tracing. I altered the shoulders for my square shoulders by 3/8" and raised the bottom of the armhole the same amount.
Although there is a slight dart in the form of a wrinkle trying to form at the bust, I'm not going to do an FBA. This is a tee shirt and it's perfectly normal for a tee shirt to have these folds without a sewn dart. Yes, I could make an FBA and transfer it to that gathered foldover. But frankly, there's already enough gathers/ease there and I don't want to increase the bulk.
Before I went to bed, I had finished the top and figured out what I was going to do to change the construction methods I didn't like. I'm happy to report there will be no handsewing on the final top. And there already isn't any on this one, as I secured the foldover by machine and then ripped out the hand stitches. I'll take photos as I'm making the next version and hopefully they'll turn out and I can make up a quick tutorial.
Jalie tees need a few more slight adjustments compared to my still-favorite Ottobre tees, but nothing complicated and so I think Jalies are now my #2 favorite for knit tops. One of these days, I'm going to try one of their patterns for woven.
I also thought that the back neck was a little high on the 2 Jalie patterns I've made and wondered if it was only me.
ReplyDeleteLove the tee. Love your blog....look at it everyday...thanks.
ReplyDeleteI think the Jalie designs are for rounded back. I made the jacket pattern and had to remove a wedge across the upper back to get the back neck to fit properly. Your top looks great!
ReplyDeleteThe top looks comfy! If you can make it work for the way you sew (like me, avoid the handsewing), it'll be cute for a variety of things! Up here, you could even make it in a long sleeved version, but I doubt you'd get much use of that down south!
ReplyDeleteLooks good. It is very similar to a BWOF knit top from a few months ago. Do you know what the differences are?
ReplyDeleteI don't find that hand sewing on knits is a great idea, either as it is never up to the rigors of stretching and machine washing. I am surprised when pattern companies tell you to handsew things like this. Maybe they are too lazy to come up with a better way of doing it?
I, too, have had to remove a wedge of fabric from the center back (horizontal, tapering to nothing at the armhole)and wondered why they are designed for such a rounded back. Other than that, I love my Jalie patterns.
ReplyDeleteLoving that top, Debbie. #2 favourite is pretty good. :) I've got this pattern lined up to sew, one day. Glad to hear that all I have to worry about is whether I've got a rounded back or not...
ReplyDeleteI DO have a slightly rounded back, but the back neckline was still too high for me on the Sweetheart pattern(my first ever Jalie).I made up 2 trials ,and lowered the back neckline 1.5 cm on the 2nd-looks much better IMHO.I followed a lot of your alterations for that pattern and I'm thrilled with the result.Thanks,Debbie!
ReplyDeleteAless in Oz
I am enthralled with your progress on this top!
ReplyDeleteI just made this top about two weeks ago. I find that is runs long and appears that way on the models on the pattern envelope. I plan to raise my neckline about 1/2inch. I can't wait to see how you machine stitch the foldoer so as not to use handstitching, that I can not vision at this time.
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