Color Block T-shirt / The "Sam-Bell"

New Years!  2016 is going to be great, and what better way than to celebrate with something sparkly!  "It's not lame, it's lamé!"

The  story goes like this: I did not have any plans for New Years.  Then my work friends decided to go bowling.  I was invited, but I did not have anything that would pop!  So I made this color block t-shirt.  Unfortunately plans fell through, and I didn't go bowling. But I decided to name this project after my co-worker who was really nice to invite me so that I would not be bored on New Years Eve. Hence, the birth of the "Sam-Bell."

Top: The Blonds SS'14
Bottom: Auld's All-Star Finale

I was inspired The Blonds SS'14 and Anthony Ryan Auld's Project Runway All-Stars 2 finale collection.



This is roughly the pattern I used.  Note, the lamé/underlining cut line extends beyond the base of the t-shirt because you fold it under to have a finished hem.




The above set of pictures shows a bit of the process.  Basically you cut a trapezoid out of a t-shirt, cut a trapezoid of lamé, and put the the lamé piece in the t-shirt.  The lamé I used was a woven fabric that was a bit scratchy and frail.  So I used another layer of fabric (the underlining) to soften the feel and strengthen then shirt.  To finish the edges, I used glue.  Wa-wa.... Probably not the most professional method, but E-6000 really works well when you want to go fast.


And as usual the following pictures are just a bit of fun!  Enjoy!

Chudley Cannons Jersey

The dress code at my old work place was "business casual" (no denim, no Ts, no sneakers).  However, during the month of September, all Sundays were "NFL Jersey Days."  Employees were allowed to wear a jersey to support their favorite NFL team.

I do not follow football.  So I decided to put my own spin on it!  I figured that I would support the worst team in the history of... Quidditch!

There are two parts to this project: the shirt and the print.

1) The Shirt

The easy way out is going to the athletic department of any department store and buying a $10 performance shirt in a color of your team.  However, I used this opportunity to learn how to make shirt from scratch.  I wanted to develop working with knit/stretchy fabric.  

A) The primary skill I learned was making the collar of a shirt.  It's all about knowing how to stretch material.  I used this video as my guide:
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3839/video-a-neckline-binding-for-knits

B) Another thing I learned is that the front and back pieces are identical.  The only difference is in the neck opening.  In garments made out of a woven material, the back piece is a bit longer.

C) For the sleeve, I really like the padded elbow look.  It adds a sporty edge.  To add this patch, I used a lot of tape, and then I zig-zag stitched around the circumference.  In terms of placement, I added it in the middle of the back side of the sleeve around where the elbow is.  I placed the center of the patch about 1 inch lower than the elbow point because the sleeve rides up when you bend your arm.  

I have a couple of critiques on the patch.  The first is that I should have made the patch larger.  The second critique is that I needed to stabilize the patch before sewing the patch to the sleeve.  Tape is a great method, however it is hard to remove.  Next time I would add interfacing to the patch before sewing.

2) The Print

I watch a lot of DIY videos on youtube.  These videos taught me about fabric you can print on with a regular home printer.  I knew that this would be the way to customize my shirt.  Here are a few videos you can watch to learn more about the fabric:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxtexpJP2LQ&spfreload=10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niaQ8I_yebY&spfreload=10

(NOTE: I did not use the brand of paper seen in the videos.  I used the brand that was available at my local craft store.)

I made the logo and numbers on Microsoft PowerPoint.  (You could also buy iron numbers.  I decided to make my own numbers to get the size I desired.)

After ironing the print to the shirt, I stitched over all layers to make the print stay.  The yellow dashed line shows my stitching line; in reality, I used black thread.

I used iron-on letters in the past to make a shirt for my friend.  The shirt turned out really nice, but my friend said that the letters eventually peeled off.  Even with this shirt, I noticed that the corner of the "7" started to peel off.  So I stitched down all of the printed parts for extra support.   This extra stitching was great because it made the shirt look more like a professional jersey.

I'm so glad this project turned out better than I expected!  I really love the way it turned out!  

As for work, I wore it on the Sunday I was scheduled... and nobody commented on it.  I was worried that I was in trouble, so I asked by manager about it.  I explained my situation, and the manager just laughed at me.  She said that I was totally fine and that people just did not get it.  What?   I think I need to become a Harry Potter missionary because clearly there are people who are missing out on a great story!  Or maybe I should become a recruiter for the Chudley Cannons because, dang, they need some better players!