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.
- 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.