Friday, May 1, 2009

Spring Top Entry

Like I mentioned over a month ago, I wanted to submit a shirt to Made by Rae's Spring Top week. It was nice having a deadline, even though I procrastinated finishing the project until there were just a few hours left! Shame on me. The pattern I decided to use was one of my Mom's old ones from before I was born.
I was lucky enough to find a picture of her in her version. Incidentally, she is just a little pregnant with me here!
Here is how mine turned out (complete with my first son sort of in the picture too).
 He was also kind enough to snap these shots of me in the shirt.
I made some alterations from the original pattern. the first was the puffiness of the sleeves. I made them less puffy than was called for.
They are still a little puffy for my liking and I don't love how they lay. I think I might just need to press them a little more. The pattern creates a sort of tent like body to the shirt.
I felt I needed a belt or something. Partially to add some color, but also to tame the tent.
I tried sewing one on and that was a disaster that ended in a LOT of unpicking. I decided a completely removable one was best.
Another addition to the pattern was just a simple trim on the hem of the shirt.
I also used purple on the cuff.
I had a bit of a hard time trying to figure out how to make a casing AND add trim. I ended up just sewing the trim on first and then sewing the elastic in. I don't love this.
The pattern wasn't super difficult (except when I try to alter things!) I probably won't make i again though. I think another style might work better for me, but I will like wearing this one just knowing that my mom made one similar.
Green fabric is Patty Reed Designs, purchased at JoAnn's.

6 comments:

  1. That's so neat that you made the same pattern as your mom's shirt. My mom used to sew all our clothes AND she keeps all her patterns, so I'm sure I could do the same thing, if I could figure out the tension issue on my sewing machine. I like the green dotted fabric, good job!

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  2. Turned out great Collette!
    And cool see a picture of your mom in the old days. Hers was great too.

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  3. The history with that shirt is so fantastic! I can't believe you have the pattern, and a picture of your mother in her version of it! How neat! Seriously, stuff like that is so priceless!

    Rebecca
    RootsAndWingsCo.blogspot.com

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  4. Great job on the shirt! I just love the little boy in the first picture. Crashed out with sucker in hand - wearing nothing but a diaper and shoes. :)

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  5. This is beautiful. I know it's hard to make something for your self and wear it knowing it isn't exactly the way you wanted it. But, your additions made it so pretty. Your son did a great job with the photography. That was funny that you said he won't wear things if he doesn't like them and calls them dirty! I think with patterns, you always have to try it once and then adjust. This is so much easier with patterns for kids.

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