It’s all about sleeves
I feel like I’m on a little bit of a sewing journey at the moment. I’m either taking a pattern that works for me and then trying it in different fabrics (like here and here) or adjusting a TNT pattern to create a slightly new look. This make was all about the Scout Woven Tee and it’s sleeves.
To create a gathered hem sleeve (yes, it has a name!) I consulted Pattern Cutting Made Easy: A Step-By-Step Introduction by Gillian Holman. The book assumes you are altering a basic block and gives you simple step-by-step instructions supported by easy-to-follow diagrams. This book is a recent purchase and I love it!
I printed out and assembled a Scout sleeve (one of the benefits of pdf patterns!) and straightened the curved hem before following the cut and spread approached as outlined in Holman’s pattern cutting book. My final sleeve piece looked just like figure three in the book. Woo hoo!
Inspired by Judith from Tessuti, I decided to use the selvege of this stunning yarn dyed linen to create as a feature cuff on the sleeves. I thought it might be a bit quirky, but to tell you the truth I’m not sure.
Actually, I’m not sure about these sleeves full stop. I wished that I had gathered a sleeve a little more and made the cuffs smaller so they fitted my arms more snugly. I might even go back and redo them.
Even though I feel a little bit like a professional footballer (choose your own code) in this top, I’m sure to wear it when warmer weather hits the southern hemisphere as this linen is too good not to be worn and enjoyed.
Pattern: Grainline Studio’s Scout Woven Tee
Size: 10
Fabric: Yarb dyed linen remnant from Tessuti (Melbourne Store)
Alterations: I completed an FBA (see details here) and used a slash and spread method to create a gathered hem sleeve
Accessories: Sophie Digard scarf from Scarlett Jones
And I’ll bid you farewell with my ‘don’t mess with me’ look!
I think you know your style and the colors that suit you best–your makes are flattering even when you take issue with certain aspects!
Sarah-Jo your comments are always uplifting. Thank-you.
I really like this top and the selvedge cuff is fab!! I’m looking at selvedges in a much more benign light these days and I like the idea of using the bits that normally you’d throw away.
Thanks Bea. I too like the idea of not wasting precious resources, especially when it’s lovely linen.
I love your fabric – linen & palette – choices, and I’d be diving into that book with both feet too – how very exciting that you can use ‘your Scout’ to customise it however you like – more pouff, less pouff, mix it up for the seasons 😉
So nice to finally get out some of those ideas swimming around in my head. And you can bet your bottom dollar this isn’t the last you’ve seen of the Scout Woven Tee in Blogless-Anna-land 🙂
I like the use of the selvedge – it looks very cute. I do think they’d look better if you made them smaller though – they look nice as they are, but I think more balanced if they were smaller? It would be worth doing it – the linen and selvedge go perfectly with your SD scarf!!
I was so preoccupied with not making the sleeves bands to tight (so I didn’t restrict arm movement) that I ended up over-compensating. If the truth be told, this make was more about the process than the end result!
Using the selvedge is genius! It’s such an overlooked trick, you see it pop up more in Japanese type styles and they take denim selvedge to the next level!
I like the sleeves and the looseness of them, but then again I’m not a big tight sleeve fan so it might just be personal preference. Go with your gut feeling, it seems to be steering you in a great direction with all your recent makes.
I love the creative process… how you see something inspiring, like Judith’s use of the selvege, file it away and then take the idea (adapt it if necessary) and add it to one of your projects. Oh how I love sewing…
The Scout tee is a TNT for me too! I’ve done two variations & are planning more. Yours is a lovely iteration.
It’s such a great pattern. I’m planning some more variations as we speak…
I love the selvege – I saw it in the picture and admired it before I read the text about it. I think in my book that means it’s a Win 🙂
Thank-you. I’ll take that win:)
Wow, love the use of the selvedge. This is great.
Thanks Louise.
You have fabulous style! That linen is stunning and the selvage cuff is inspired. And, thanks to your helpful references for adding a dart free FBA, I’m going to have another go at the Scout. I even have that Louise Cutting DVD but must have missed that section….(ahem, too many sewing references, too little time!)
I’m blushing! And I hear you… so many reference (and patterns and fabric) and too little time.
I always hate cutting into a pretty selvedge and wish for wait to incorporate them somehow… I do love this concept. But like you, I would be very much tempted to undo, gather harder and make the cuff a little more snug. Otherwise – grand idea!
Thanks for your honesty Mel. I will redo them when the weather warms up.
You’ve made me start eyeing off a delicious piece of linen with a pretty selvedge in my stash…. 😉
[…] effect the outcome. How many Scout Woven Tees have I made myself recently… one, two, three, four? And who’s counting the different fabrics I’ve used to sew up a boxy cropped […]