George + Ginger The Teen Spirit Top, v.4
2024-Aug-30, Friday 05:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chebeGeorge + Ginger's The Teen Spirit Top is undeniably my go-to top pattern. This is v4, but basically the same as v3; size 14, regular length, straight hem, with neckband. But no sleeves this time (other than the included drawn-on/dropped sleeve).
For the fabric I'm using old t-shirts. More specifically the backs of very old t-shirts I had cut up, to use the fronts in a quilt. Which, I hope, will get done sometime in my lifetime.
I laid the pattern pieces out on the fabric a few different ways, and went with the simplest arrangement. I'm adding Centre-Front and Centre-Back seams (and seam allowances) to the pattern pieces.
Make sure to pick fabrics with similar weight and stretch. Line up two pieces by their (already finished) hems, and cut out the front/back piece as per the pattern. Because of how the sizes happened to work out, some of the previous sleeve caps will get caught, a little bit at the CF/CB, and a lot at the dropped sleeves.
Sew the CF/CB seams, finish the seams, press to one side.
Sew the shoulder seams, finish, press.
Sew the side seams, finish, press.
For the sleeves, to even out the ends twice turn a very narrow hem.
The neckband is supposed to be cut widthwise on the fold, but I cut it lengthwise, with the grain, in two pieces. (To fit under the dropped sleeves in left over fabric.) Sew them into one band, then a tube (as per original instructions), fold, and sew onto the neckline. Because I caught some of the previous hem stitching details I offset the seams from centre to make it more of a feature. Sewing with the grain means it stretches less than it should, but was still able to make it work. Finish seam and press.
And you're done. I ended up using two backs-of-old-tshirts for the front, and for the back, making a total of four old tshirts. Using the backs is great because you don't have to work around different depths of necklines taking chunks out of your shoulders. I have plenty more left over tshirt backs, so I definitely see myself doing this again. I might even try more complex patchwork-style patterns.
For the fabric I'm using old t-shirts. More specifically the backs of very old t-shirts I had cut up, to use the fronts in a quilt. Which, I hope, will get done sometime in my lifetime.
I laid the pattern pieces out on the fabric a few different ways, and went with the simplest arrangement. I'm adding Centre-Front and Centre-Back seams (and seam allowances) to the pattern pieces.
Make sure to pick fabrics with similar weight and stretch. Line up two pieces by their (already finished) hems, and cut out the front/back piece as per the pattern. Because of how the sizes happened to work out, some of the previous sleeve caps will get caught, a little bit at the CF/CB, and a lot at the dropped sleeves.
Sew the CF/CB seams, finish the seams, press to one side.
Sew the shoulder seams, finish, press.
Sew the side seams, finish, press.
For the sleeves, to even out the ends twice turn a very narrow hem.
The neckband is supposed to be cut widthwise on the fold, but I cut it lengthwise, with the grain, in two pieces. (To fit under the dropped sleeves in left over fabric.) Sew them into one band, then a tube (as per original instructions), fold, and sew onto the neckline. Because I caught some of the previous hem stitching details I offset the seams from centre to make it more of a feature. Sewing with the grain means it stretches less than it should, but was still able to make it work. Finish seam and press.
And you're done. I ended up using two backs-of-old-tshirts for the front, and for the back, making a total of four old tshirts. Using the backs is great because you don't have to work around different depths of necklines taking chunks out of your shoulders. I have plenty more left over tshirt backs, so I definitely see myself doing this again. I might even try more complex patchwork-style patterns.
Teen Spirit short sleeve top, made from old t-shirts, finished, back view
Photo by chebe
Teen Spirit short sleeve top, made from old t-shirts, finished, front view
Photo by chebe
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Date: 2024-09-01 10:42 am (UTC)(As you might have deduced, I found your journal via a boosted post on Mastodon, but I wanted to ask also whether you’ve seen
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Date: 2024-09-01 12:07 pm (UTC)I hadn't seen it! I shall peruse!