After all.
I tried to make a shirt from the Alabama Chanin book but it didn’t fit – too small. I also couldn’t get my head through the hole and decided it could be their fault. But it wasn’t. It was me. Deep down inside I knew it all along.
I didn’t read the directions closely (shocking, I know) and thought that the t-shirt back of the pattern should be cut twice and used for the front and back. No. There is a separate pattern piece for the front.
Ever so sorry.
Luckily, I am stubborn. I went to the thrift shop and bought a mighty pile of gigantic tee-shirts.
Here’s the sleeve pattern. It fit the original sleeve right at the short sleeve length. Perfect.
When you buy a sewing book with patterns, you don’t want to cut the patterns directly our of the book. I was stymied by this at first but some smart people on the interwebs set me straight. You copy the pattern onto wax paper. So smart.
I may be XL but luckily this tee shirt is a men’s XXL. Plenty of fabric to play with.
Wax paper patterns are so easy to modify. I just taped an extra little slip of paper right onto the pattern. But this one was still a bit snug. So, I don’t have a finished product to show yet. I’m going to add a tiny bit more and try again.
What’s that you say? The baby quilt? Hmm. Oh yeah. I put in one line of stitching but I’m obsessed with the tee shirt thing. I’ve got time…I’ve got time…I hope. One more try at that shirt first.
I hope to model a perfect fitting tee shirt for you here soon.
Must seek this book out it looks interesting!
Wax paper…….wouldnt have thought of using that!! thanks!
You’re welcome. I love the wax paper, it’s really easy to modify.