Amid the insanity that is Lockdown 2020, I have been very busy, my sewing machine hasn’t run this steady in years. I started in March and April with Headbands for Heroes where we made button headbands for the nurses and front line workers to save their ears from their masks. As the numbers in our province, and our country and the world grew, the demand for masks went up, and I found myself drawn to making masks for my family, my friends and their families. As happy as this made me to be helping where it counted, it also kind of made me sad. Sewing was always my safe place. The place I went to be creative. The thing I turned to when there was no where else to turn, when the kids had been fighting all day, or when the world around us was too much for me to think about. Yet during a time when it feels like the walls are closing in some days, and the world as we have come to know it is facing a major change, I was not turning to my sewing to be creative, I was turning to it as a necessity. When I saw the 5 out of 4 tester call for Lucy, a really cute t shirt in kids and women’s, I knew it would be exactly what I needed to be able to be creative without walking away from the mask making completely. I knew that Rachelle needed size 14 models, well little miss is a size 14 model. So I printed up the first version and got it made. Talk about creative and fun. It was my first time ever trying to mash a solid colour with a print. And it was made from 2 old tee shirts.
When I uploaded the pictures to Rachelle to see what she thought, I mentioned that little miss found that the sleeves were very tight. Well it wasn’t just the sleeves that were tight, the princess seams were great but it was really pulling at the neck and the armpit. Rachelle suggested that it was because this shirt was made for kids and tweens, but not ones who were changing shape yet. So she switched me over to test the woman’s size xs. Aside from the fact that I was not prepared to admit that little miss is able to wear woman’s sizes, I also am not very experienced in making bust adjustments. After a test run of the women’s size xs, upcycled from another old t shirt, we were on the right track but it wasn’t quite perfect yet.
So in the final version of the pattern Rachelle explained in detail about the apex of the bust and bust point, and even though I have ’em I haven’t ever paid much attention to that kind of stuff. By making the adjustments she suggested, I got a shirt that is absolutely perfect for little miss. It looks great, it feels great and being that it’s women’s sizing, she will be able to have this one remade over and over again as she grows up. It also has options, it can be slim fit or a more relaxed fit. 2 necklines, jewel which is the one we used and a scoop neck. There are 4 lengths; shirt, tunic, mini dress and knee length dress. There are 6 sleeve lengths! Sleeveless, cap sleeve, short sleeve, elbow, 3/4 sleeve and long sleeve. As if you needed another reason than all these, it has an optional lace up back, how fun is that?! I seriously probably don’t need to buy another shirt pattern ever, because it ranges in size from xxs to 5x, so we can both get alot out of it. Little miss loves all 3 of the ones we made, which is saying something because she usually finds one that she likes and the rest are just forgotten. So 3 shirts from one test, we really can’t do better than that.
Here is the link to the pattern, it’s on sale through Sunday May 17 5 out of 4 Women’s Lucy top, tunic and dress.