Fabric: Les Trouvailles dAmandine

Plantain T-shirt

Instructions - English

Fabric and supplies

Select the size corresponding to your measures from the table below (if your measurements
correspond to more than one size, just connect them on the pattern).

Recommended fabric
To make this t-shirt, prefer a light and stable cotton or wool jersey (it needs to retain its original shape after being stretched). Youll want jersey with a stretch percentage between 40%
and 50% (see below).
You can also choose fleece, using one size bigger than yours.

Supplies
fabric: 1 yards of 60 wide fabric, or 2 yards of 45wide fabric
a special ball point needle for knits for your sewing machine or serger
optional: a twin needle to hem the t-shirt and the sleeves

Stretch percentage
To determine the elasticity of your fabric, cut a 4x4 square from it. Block one of the sides and
stretch it perpendicularly to the grain: when stretched, your swatch needs to measure 5 1/2
6 in width to work with this pattern.
If you buy your fabric online, the stretch percentage is usually indicated in the product description. If its not, do not hesitate do contact the seller.

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Before you begin

So that the construction of your garment goes as smoothly as possible, read
through these guidelines before you start to sew:

Wash and dry your fabric at the same temperature that youll wash your completed garment.
New fabrics tend to shrink when washed and this might alter the size and
shape of your finished garment.

Make sure that you have all the materials you need to hand: in addition to
the supplies listed on the back of the pattern envelope, you will need a pair of
fabric scissors, tailors chalk or fabric markers, pins and matching thread.

Find your size on the size chart using your bust, waist and hip measurements.
For form-fitting patterns, if you are in between sizes, choose the larger one.

If your measurements fall into different sizes, trace a line with a marker
directly on the pattern to connect the sizes between bust and waist and/or
between waist and hips.

Cut the pattern pieces. Fold the fabric in half and lay the pattern pieces on top,
following the cutting layout (next page).
Pay attention to the grain line that runs parallel to the selvage of the fabric.

Trace the pieces on the fabric. 5/8 seam allowances are included in the
pattern. Before you cut, make sure that all the pattern pieces are in the right
direction.

Now youre all set.

Lets get to work!

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Cutting layout
Lay the pattern pieces on your fabric folded in half following the illustrations below.

60 wide fabric (1 yards)

45wide fabric (2 yards)

4
2

Standard 5/8 seam allowances

are included in the pattern.

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Construction
Introduction: sewing with knits
Contrarily to a widespread preconception, its not necessary to have a serger to sew clothes
with jersey! Its a technique accessible to everyone (provided you use the specific needle),
which simply requires a little practice to achieve perfect results.

Like any new technique, sewing jersey involves some specific rules that its important to follow:
1. Stretch percentage: each pattern for knits is intended for a specific percentage of

stretch (to know the % of this pattern and how to calculate it, refer to page 2). Its very
important to use fabric with the intended elasticity, or youll end up with a garment that is
too tight or too loose.

2. Grain: when you sew jersey, it is even more important to carefully respect the grain when

cutting your pieces. In fact, the fabric doesnt have the same amount of stretch in both
directions, so you can completely compromise the fit of the final garment.

3. Using a ballpoint needle: this an essential element, often overlooked by beginners.

Machine needles for jersey have a round tip especially designed to penetrate between the
threads of knit fabrics. Without this needle, your machine may skip stitches, eat the fabric
and give a very unprofessional result. As with conventional needles, you must choose the
correct needle size for your fabric.

4. Choosing the right stitch: your machine surely has at least one of several

elastic stitches. The most used is the simple stretch stitch (illustrated here). If
you dont have it, you can use a narrow zigzag stitch.
Feel free to experiment on scraps of your jersey to determine the stitch length
and width that best suits your fabric!

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5. Finishing techniques: unlike wovens, knits dont fray. This means that it isnt necessary

to overcast seams, even though using a serger will give you a neater finish, more similar to
RTW. You can simply cut down the seam allowances to .

Before you start sewing the actual garment, do not hesitate to spend some time practising
straight and joint seams on scraps to get more comfortable with this new material. For your
first try, I recommend using a very stable jersey (cotton jersey is perfect for beginners).
If your first seams are deformed, check the thread tension and try to sew without pulling on
your fabric. If the problem persists, you can use a walking foot (if you have one) or slide some
tissue paper under your fabric to reduce friction.
In any case, remember that it is rare that a stretched seam or a warped hem cannot be fixed
with a good passage of your steam iron!

Step 1: attaching the shoulders

Pin the front (pattern piece n1) to the back (2) of the t-shirt at the shoulders with right sides together. Stitch using a 5/8 seam allowance, then cut down the excess and press the seam open.

Tip: to avoid the fabric to stretch out of shape over time, you can stabilise your shoulder seam
by pinning clear elastic along the shoulder line. Incorporate the elastic in the shoulder seam.

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Step 2: neckline band

Fold the neckline band (3) in half widthwise with right sides together. Stitch the two extremities together using a 5/8 seam allowance and cut it down.

Now fold the band lengthwise, with wrong sides together. Pin it along the neckline with right
sides together, placing the seam at the centre back and matching the notches to the shoulder
seams and centre front.
The neckline band needs to be stretched in order to match the neckline: its normal! This will
make the neckline fit snugly and will avoid gaping.

Stitch the band to the neckline using a 5/8 seam allowance, then cut it down to . Turn the
band and press it with generous steam.

Finish the neckline with a long straight stitch, or using the twin needle.

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Step 3: sleeves
Carefully pin the elbow patches (5) on the sleeves (4), wrong side of the patch against right side
of the sleeve, following the marks on the pattern.
Stitch the patches to the sleeves, sewing very close to the edge of the patches and using a long
straight stitch. If needed, trim the patches very close to the seam.

Pin the sleeves to the armholes in the flat, with right sides together, matching the notches for
the front, back and shoulder seam. Sew using a stretch stitch and a 5/8 seam allowance. Cut
down the excess.

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Pin and stitch the sides of the t-shirt with right sides together, using a 5/8 seam allowance. Cut
down the excess.

Step 4: finishing
Fold once the bottom of the t-shirt and of the sleeves by . Stitch at 5/8 using your twin needle or a large stretch stitch.
Carefully press your hems with steam: your t-shirt is done!

Cest fini !
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This free pattern is for personal use only. Any commercial use of this
pattern (or realizations derived from it) is prohibited.
English translation: Anna Prato