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Frumpy to Fabulous Tshirts

Part 1 - Making a Pattern

My original t-shirt pattern actually came from a very fitting sweather. Last spring after my baby turned one and my body started to return a bit more towards the pre-pregnancy shape, I wanted to make some knit nursing tops, but didn't have a pattern. So, I looked in my closet and decided to use this very fitting sweather (which was still a bit too small at the time). But I like the basic shaping.

So, I first put a blanket on my kitchen table, then some white paper and then the sweather inside out. I measured and marked the center of the sweather and then pinned the front half with many pins on the seamlines and edges:

I have drawn the dots where the pins were, so it's better visible. After all the pins were in, I took the sweather off and traced all the lines. I then changed the hem line to a curve.

I repeated the same process for the sweather back and the sleeves. The sleeves I did both from the front and the back and then taped the two parts together. Although I did find out later that they were the same.

These were the original finished pieces:

I used them to make my first knit overlap nursing top and it was the best fitting top I have ever made! But I didn't like the fact that the shoulders were dropped a bit and the sleeve cap was so low. It created wrinkled around my arm in the front and back.

So, I traced another sleeve off a favorite summer t-shirt and scooped out the armhole a bit (shortening the shoulder seam at the same time) to get the same measurements as the sleeve cap.

I also read the Threads article on making t-shirts and followed some of the instructions to make more changes to the pattern:

~ I took the side seams in at the waist to create a more hourglass fitted siluette

~ I made a FBA by slashing the pattern horizontally at bust point, spreading out and then adding a curve to the side seam, where it would be eased in. So, the front pattern is longer and a tiny bit wider to allow more room for my bust.

~ I also changed the angle of my shoulder seam a bit, because I have square shoulders.

I made this pink top from the altered pattern:

But it came out still a bit too short, so I lengthened the pattern a bit.

And I ended up scooping out the back armscye just a bit.

I definitely like this sleepe cap much better.

I tam still working on some tiny adjustments and alterations, but I think it very good fitting and better than any RTW will every be.

Part 2 - Altering of the tops

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