The last time Rae tried a Tee Shirt Redesign and wrote about it was 2016 and the post is titled Snazzy Baltimore Tunic. This story of a redesign is similar, but enough different that it seemed like a fun feature as we focus on summer knit sewing. There are just a few weeks left to get the discounted price on our Virtual On Demand Knit Sewing classes and we encourage you to up your knit sewing game by taking advantage of this special offer.
Here is Rae to tell you about this summer tee featuring Baltimore Oriole graphics.
Gather materials first
I really needed a summer O’s tee shirt as attending their baseball games is a family tradition. Several give-away sports tees had been sitting in a pile in the sewing room waiting for coordinating fabric that would be cool and lightweight enough for hot weather games. One of my go-to places to look for knit fabrics is Stone Mountain and Daughter Fabrics in the bay area of California. They have a terrific web store, so I checked their stock searching with the two Tee shirts I wanted to use in hand. Orange, black and white are not always easy to find, but I was lucky on this occasion. Two prints caught my eye, a very colorful rayon/lycra print with colorful stripes, and a computer generated floral print with lots of colors including the orange I was searching for.
Plan for both comfort and style
Often I redesign Tee’s into the knit tunic style found in the Tabula Rasa Knit Tee and Tunic pattern. For summer, I wanted a simple tee with ¾ length sleeves to keep me covered if the sun is shining bright. The light cotton jersey flower print seemed like a good bet for framing in the tee designs and making the sleeves. The stripe would be useful as bands and sides. I ordered ½ yard of the stripe and 1 yard of the flowers. Ordering fabric online can be complicated but if there is a purpose, sometimes it all works out. It was all terrific when it arrived.
Using my personalized front and back Tabula Rasa Knit Tee and Tunic pattern, I designed the placement of both O’s tees. The summer surfing design would be on the front and the sunglasses tee featuring an all star player, Cedric Mullins, would sit on the back. Take time to position the tee designs and check how they will look on the body. The summer scene was successfully framed along the neck and shoulder of the front with a floral yoke. The Cedric tee became the upper back with a lower back featuring the same floral print. Cut carefully and stitch the front and both backs together, don’t forget the dart if you need one.
Construct with Knit Qualities in Mind
Often, as with this top, I find the Wide Neckline Variation’s Ballet neckline useful. The front and back are finished first before sewing the shoulders. The stripe, running horizontally made a great little band. Then finish the usual tee construction. Stay tuned to Fit for Art’s Instagram or Facebook this week to watch for some of these steps.
Each knit fabric makes a unique top! The light nature of the floral led me to fuse a strip of interfacing along the back hem to support the lower back edge of the top. It balanced the back hem with the other fabrics so the top will stay nice for years of wear.
Make an Entire Wardrobe of Spirited Tees
I already have a terrific tunic featuring two different tees that I made for the postseason games a couple of years ago, which I enjoy wearing in late spring and early fall when the weather is chilly at the games. This summer tee joins a rayon hawaiian shirt, also redesigned for an improved fit, so I can dress comfortably for summer games, too.
Do you have a Tee you like but do not wear? Classic menswear crew neck tees do not always flatter a gal’s body. Take it out, look for some coordinating fabrics, and get started making a fun tee or tunic redesign of your own. They make great gifts too for a fashionable fan in your world.
We hope our little knit focus has inspired some fun new wardrobe looks. We do have our three beautiful knit bundles available online and we encourage you to pick up a new piece or use a favorite piece in your stash to try out some of these techniques we have written about the last few weeks.
Happy Sewing! RAE
