Matching your wardrobe to your lifestyle - the plan & Activewear tops - Grainline Studio Lark Tee

 According to the rules, here's what the wardrobe should look like, as a starting point. Existing pieces have been deducted from the plan.

I've added another category which is work clothes - the kind that can get stained with paint, grout, dirt you know what I mean, and nothing will be purchased for that, but at least 5 pieces of each should cover my needs.. 

Just focusing on activewear for now and working my way up...

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Activewear

4 tops, 7 bottoms

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For the tops, I'm going to two patterns The Grainline Lark Tee and an old Issey Miyake Vogue 2796.

Using a cotton spandex jersey from a Fabric Mart Bundle, not crazy about the color but if I'm walking in the neighborhood, it should keep me from getting run over.  The knit itself is very stretchy (20% stretch) and soft,  difficult to handle, and not great quality.  I'm guessing I'll get maybe 10 washings out of it, then it will be replaced.

Grainline Studio - Lark Tee

Gifted to me by a dear friend, I'm happy to finally use it.

Instead of using the pattern recommendations for my size, I've pulled out a favorite running shirt and used that chest measurement, so instead of a 16, I'm cutting a 14. The fabric I'm using is comparable to the stretch in the running shirt.

The pattern looked to be long compared to other patterns, so it uses slightly more fabric, it is only about 1 1/2" longer than my running shirt, so I've shortened it by that amount.

Conclusion:

This pattern is very straight forward, the pieces went together very easily, quickly and the fit is good.  

- For the next version there will be a swayback adjustment. 

- The side seams have a slight curve to accommodate hips, which I will alter to my shape. 

- Next versions will have longer sleeves

** Before folding up the pattern, make sure you have all of your pieces for tracing.  The neck binding for the crew neck, was on the page for the scoop neck body, and the neck binding for the v neck was on the page for the crew neck body.

Vogue 2796 Issey Miyake

 

I needed to get reacquainted with this pattern, it's been a while.  It's an interesting pattern, it combines knits and wovens, has a neck facing instead of a band, and a woven hem (which has been left off).  I had to use the actual knit for the sleeve band, v neck and facing piece because I couldn't find a contrast fabric that worked for this project.  The mixture of wovens and knits is something I'll explore further in the future.

It's significantly shorter and tighter (back horizontal pleats) than the grainline, but I'm making it as a wearable TNT, and if it's not wearable, it will be finished and donated.

Conclusion

- There was significant shrinkage when the neck facing was fused to the fabric.  This left a gap between the front facing piece and the V neck opening piece, wondering now if that's what happened with the original below.  It looks prettier on the original.  This version will be rejected as a running shirt.  For any next version of this t shirt, the fusible and fabric should be fused first, then the pattern cut out of a fused block.  Hopefully that should solve the shrinkage issue.

- Add swayback adjustment and lengthen.

- Double check pattern piece measurements

 I remember the first version was well loved, and this is the only photo I could find.

This is why it's important to document projects, it looks like I took some liberties with the front neckline.

Conclusion? There will be 3 more Lark Tees to add to the Activewear collection.

Next up..... Activewear bottoms.