That Sleeve Though!

I’d noticed this pattern when it was released in late 2019 and although I greatly admired the beautiful photography I thought I didn’t need another long sleeve boat neck t shirt pattern. Well I got that wrong and this is destined to be my go to, tried and tested pattern for some time to come.

Having made another boat tee from an ebook recently I was so disappointed with the finish that I knew I needed the Somerset T-shirt pattern. I duly purchased it from The Fold Line, trying out their in-house copy shop printing. Ordered on the Monday, my pattern was delivered on the Friday, in time for some weekend sewing.

My fabric had been bought in two separate metre lengths so I did not follow the standard cutting plans, managing to also cut out sleeves for a long sleeved raglan top and two pairs of boxers shorts, so I would say the fabric allowance seems accurate.

The pattern has two sets of instructions:

Brief assembly instructions for the more experienced sewist and in depth explanations for a beginner. Despite having sewn for forty years, I used a combination of the two and found the tips useful.

I couldn’t resist making version D with the full length bishop sleeves and exaggerated cuffs. It came together in under three hours, though I took my time to sew accurately and achieved a lovely finish on the neckline. It’s not often I learn a new sewing skill, but I had never used shirring elastic before and found the treatment for the sleeves very easy, after an initial test run on an off cut.

I am absolutely thrilled with the resulting top and I’m sure these won’t be the only statement sleeves I sew this year. However this pattern has the versatility to go on being used for years to come as there are also plain full length and three quarter length sleeve options. Following my measurements, the t shirt sewed up true to size, with negative ease at the bust and flattering shaping for waist and hips.

That sleeve though is a thing of beauty and raises this top to a level of sophistication not normally associated with a t shirt. I can’t wait to try some of the other designs from Maven Patterns.