Sunday, June 19, 2016

Vesta Patterns Grail Tee


The more I sew and read about sewing, the more aware I am of the problems with my RTW clothes.  I've tolerated my t-shirts stretching to semi-sheerness across the bust, and irritatingly snug armholes, for a long time, but with multiple curve-friendly t-shirt patterns now available, it's time I improved my t-shirt options.

Vesta patterns puts out each of their patterns - only two at this point, the Grail tee and a princess-seamed dress - for three different body shapes, and the "S" shape is pretty much spot-on for my measurements.

I added a contrast neckband and sleeve cuff, and increased the length of the sleeves a bit for the sake of personal preference.


What I Liked:
  • I love that this fit me without any adjustment. I need to get comfortable doing FBAs, certainly, but FBAs on knits are another matter entirely.  Every FBA-for-knits tutorial is different, and half of them say to use a dart, while plenty of other places scoff at the very ideal of darting a knit.  So bypassing that whole issue with a tee pattern that fits without adjustment is fantastic.
  • Aside from the fitting-me-specifically aspect, I like the fit of the tee in general - it's got enough ease to drape nicely and be more comfortable in hot weather, without ending up shapeless like many looser-fitting tees are meant to.
Downsides:
  • I don't care for the finish of the tee.  The neck and hems are all finished by folding under 1/4" and stitching.  I don't like the look for the neck, and 1/4" is pretty skimpy for a hem.  I added a neckband and folded up 1/2" instead of 1/4" for the hem.
  • While it worked out fine for me, it would be cool if the pattern sizes went bigger - I usually wear a 14 US in RTW, and I was in the largest size, XL.  So people in the plus-size range aren't going to be able to use this pattern without modification.
There's also a tank-top option, with a snugger fit.  I'll probably try that in the future, but I'm planning on the Cashmerette Concord next.  Two options for full-busted tees, hooray!