15 September 2009

173. Refashion 30: Men's T to Women's T (New Look 6762)

Oh boy... this is one of the least exciting refashions I've done, but so very practical. I made a t-shirt for myself from a men's XL tee.

Kyle was kind enough to send me New Look 6762 in my recent goody box, which she made and narrowly averted disaster with last fall. Her finished product looked so different from the pattern envelope that when I saw the pattern envelope, no alarms went off. She reminded me, and I checked out all the reviews of NL6762 at PR.com, so I felt ready to tackle this beast -- view E, the raglan tee.

I didn't bother taking a photo of the original men's tee because you know very well at this point what an oversized tee on Clementine looks like. :)

There is strangeness and oddity with this pattern. Specifically, there is a sleeve dart which has befuddled and perplexed my predecessors. I've sewn raglan-sleeve garments with 2-piece sleeves so I figured closer contours were the goals behind the sleeve darts in NL6762. Also, previous reviewers noted that the neckband notches didn't match well with the notches on the bodice front and back. A recent reviewer said she did fine when she divided everything in quarters and stretched the neckband evenly around the neckline.

Also, the t-shirt I used for this is not the ideal knit. A swatch of my t-shirt does not stretch as the pattern envelope suggests it should for this pattern. I knew all this going in.

As a result, it took me about 30 minutes to deconstruct my men's tee and cut out the pattern pieces, and 45 minutes to sew it all together. I had to fight the neckband a little because it really did not want to stretch as much as I was forcing it to. I also did not hem the sleeves because they are already an inch shorter than the pattern piece (not enough fabric from the original tee), and decided to leave the bottom hem unfinished as well to match.

The sleeve darts are kind of pointy, even though I took extra care to sew them a little longer and more rounded than the pattern showed. At times, like when I've been moving a bunch and haven't smoothed out the shirt in a while, you can really tell, like in the photo at the end of the post. Most of the time, you can't tell the pointy shoulder darts from rumply cotton:


Other notes:
  • I took my usual 1" petite alteration at the waist.
  • I added about 4-5" at the bottom because the original t-shirt had enough fabric. This is tunic-length, and I really like it.
  • I like the overall silhouette of the tee, and more importantly, I think the neckline is the perfect shape and size for me.
I'll definitely sew this again with an appropriate knit, and will make the sleeve pattern into a 2-piece sleeve. Chances are I will make long sleeves, too, to carry me through the winter. Geez, do I look angry in this photo or what? It has been almost a week straight with no sun and I think it's getting my energy level down! (I know, I'd never make it through the winter up north.) But I'm not complaining -- we totally need the rain. My review of NL6762 is at PR.com.

16 comments:

  1. Oooh! That neckline is super cute! I'm so happy it worked out very nicely and without frustration!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm lovin' that neckline. Great job on another refashion!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like that t-shirt on you, but in the photo you look like you hate it!

    That pattern sounds like trouble to me; I've just bought the Sew U Home Stretch book, so I'll be sewing t-shirts from the pattern provided. They look much easier!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey! I like it! I've wanted to try stitching a t-shirt for ages, but have always hesitated, because I'm afraid it will be all stretched and ruffly at the seams. How dumb is that? I really should pull myself together and take a whack at it.

    I'm with you on the rain...it's starting to get on my nerves, but I'm not going to complain one iota. Lake Weatherford is at the proper level for the first time in six years!! We've had more than 12 inches of rain since last Friday. Does this mean that the drought is now over and I can burn the brush pile on the back forty?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love this! I think it looks great on you!! Thanks for the comment!!:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for taking the time to review even the simple ones! I don't take the time yet, but I think I just need to get in the habit and figure out where I can easily set up to take pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It looks great! I've glossed over this pattern several times, but maybe I should pick it up. All the rain down here is making me feel like fall/winter sewing though!

    ReplyDelete
  8. That looks good on you. It's a very flattering fit. I like longer tees too - because I hate having to tug my shirt back down every time I pick up a kid - which I do a lot.
    When I'm making a "nothing" face, people always tell me I look angry.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love a good t shirt. The scoop neck is very attractive on you! Good to hear from you yesterday!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cute! & love those wide leg jeans with it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The scoop neck is great and I think the length of the t-shirt is perfect! Regarding the sleeves, I think a dart like that might work in thicker stable knits. Burda has a few patterns like that. As for New Look I used to buy them all the time before, lured by the great styles, but they all had something strange about them, especially fitwise so I gave them up.

    ReplyDelete
  12. - - -= - = -- -= I'm trying to send you some virtual sunbeams right now, but I don't think it's having the effect I want. I love the neckline on this one, too. Hooray for refashioned girly tees!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I still have a question: did you use a serger for this piece?
    i don't have one and have not dared sewing tees....
    amelie.mydaruma@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. looks totally professional and made for you! great job...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Looks like it was worth the trouble just for the great neckline. It suits you well indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have that pattern! And I thought the same thing (great minds think alike). My husband had this awesome shirt with a dragon racing across the front--we still aren't sure where it came from it just showed up one day in the drawer--and he never ever wore it.

    So I took it apart and made my own shirt out of it. I LOVE that shirt.

    Alas, I've since had a baby and can no longer fit in it. I will have to work on that. To bad changing ones body isn't as easy as changing a shirt.

    ReplyDelete

Hi! I'm so glad you stopped by. If you have a specific question, be sure to leave your email address or check the box to receive email follow-up comments so I can answer your question! Thanks for commenting!