Monday, March 21, 2016

Managing Mandy the Boat Tee...


Managing Mandy... I ran across some pics of the Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee on Flickr a few days ago and got curious. It's a free download and apparently enjoys some popularity. It also looks very similar to the Grainline Studio Hemlock Tee (also gratis), so I decided to give it a try.

I've only purchased one Tessuti pattern, the Gabby dress, expensive at $10 for the PDF version, and I was surprised by the hand-drawn pattern and poor drafting. I basically redrafted the whole thing and decided not to buy any more of their patterns.

But the Mandy is free - no pain no gain. A look at the line art:


I'm not picking on them, but it's invited. The pattern says the bust width is 58" (148 cm) - after flat measuring 3 times, I come up with 52" at the bustline, drawn through a bust apex at 10.5" down from the shoulder. At the armhole the width is 54". Now, that's a big difference.

My first version was a wipe-out. The boatneck was uncomfortably high, the back and front side edges didn't align well, and I could barely get the sleeve on my arms. But that's the purpose of a muslin.

A couple more pics of my remake of the Mandy, then on to sewing notes:

Fabric - poly/cotton/lycra from Fabric Mart

Aaack - what a smug look! not intended...

Sewing notes - This is a one-size-fits-all pattern, so I did a little fitting before I drafted my pattern:
  •  Decreased the bustline width to 46":
  1. Removed 1" at CB and CF (1/2" at the fold line).
  2. Removed an additional 4" (1" each side of CF and CB, midway down the shoulder).
  •   Added 6" to the body length, back and front, using the lengthen/shorten line on the pattern.
  •  Tweaked the sleeve:
  1. Removed 2" from the length of the sleeve. 
  2. Added 1/4" to each sleeve side seam. The resulting bicep width is 13".
  3. On the body, lowered the armscye by 1/4" to fit the new sleeve.
  

For my second/current version, I redrew the neckline using the scoop neck on the Hemlock tee. Much more comfortable.


I'm super happy with my Mandy!


Right after taking these pics, I wore this outfit to an appointment, styled with a favorite Ora Delphine hobo bag - I'm so prissy...


Bye for now! Coco

17 comments:

  1. Wow! You really created your own Mandy, for sure. I am impressed. And I like yours a lot. Ooooh...and what perfect stripe-matching.

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    1. thanks, Martha! those stripes - it's stubborness...

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  2. Great job! But really, doesn't Grainline do such a nice job with their patterns on the whole?
    I'm about to embark on the Fen dress by Fancy Tiger Crafts, wish me luck!
    Love the bag.

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    1. OMG, what a great shop, Fancy Tiger Crafts...the indie selection, the fabric. Could go crazy there! And yes, Grainline is so dependably well done, end to end.

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  3. Well, it looks terrific on you! I love a good striped Tshirt, we all need one don't we? :) So versatile and they seem to go with everything. I haven't tried the mandy yet, I really should give it a go sometime

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    1. Thanks, Carolyn. Yes, there's something about a striped shirt! And shoes - I'm loving your adventure, each is better than the last. Inspiring!

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  4. Very pretty and comfortable looking too!

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    1. Thanks, Myra - and I enjoyed your recent interview on Faye's Sewing Adventure - neat!

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  5. The only point is that this is not a Mandy anymore. It is a Coco. So yoo are super happy with your own pattern. Carmen

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  6. Love your new top, Coco. You always send me on a journey to look things up. This time is was the hobo bag. Where did you get it? On the Facebook site for "The Girl Next Door Boutique," I came across this saying and it applies to YOU: THEY CAN IMITATE YOUR STYLE, BUT THEY CAN'T IMITATE YOUR CREATIVITY! Well done on making this top YOURS! Now I have to look up the Mandy top.

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    1. Oh, thank you, Margene. Made my morning. The bag - It's from the Ora Delphine online shop, but - over the last couple years I've gotten 3 bags there as Good Morning America Steals and Deals at hugely reduced prices (about $89). Otherwise I could never have afforded them on my retirement income :-) They are beautiful bags. My other two are pink and marigold and are the Adele design ..http://oradelphine.com/

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  7. You made changes to make the pattern work for you. And it looks great on you!

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  8. i saw this post about your Tessuti pattern and I had to reply even though its from a while ago . I agree that they are expensive but I have found them to be really good , very stylish and to go together really well.I have made about 5 of their patterns and will keep making them as they are not fashionable but are really stylish and timeless . Maybe it has something to do with the pattern blocks they are using not fitting you particularly well.

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  9. i saw this post about your Tessuti pattern and I had to reply even though its from a while ago . I agree that they are expensive but I have found them to be really good , very stylish and to go together really well.I have made about 5 of their patterns and will keep making them as they are not fashionable but are really stylish and timeless . Maybe it has something to do with the pattern blocks they are using not fitting you particularly well.

    ReplyDelete

I love it that you came by...and thank you for your comments! Coco