Lately I have been sewing with knit fabric -- double-brushed poly (DBP) to be exact. If you follow me on YouTube, then you know my love for DBP is solid. I have also been focusing on sewing with only Indie patterns, as I find the fit across most brands to be much better than the "Big 4" commercial pattern companies. I was scrolling through Instagram one evening, and I came across the Iris t-shirt pattern Forget-Me-Not. The pleated detail on the sleeves brought life to normally "basic" shirt, and I knew I had to make one in white DBP. This is my first time working with a pattern from Forget-Me-Not, and it probably won't be my last. I LOVE how my shirt turned out, and I can see making many more in the future, and even hacking the pattern into a t-shirt dress!
The Iris is offered with pleated short sleeves or 3/4 length sleeve. You can also choose short or 3/4 plain sleeves, but why would you when you can make these adorable pleated sleeves? Actually, I do know why. Because the fit of this pattern is amazing, and hey, I guess it's ok to wear non-pleated sleeves, too!
I filmed the making of my Iris t-shirt for a sew-along video, so if you are interest in following along and making and Iris for yourself, check it out here, or watch below.
In summary, here are my thoughts:
Pattern Instructions: Overall, the instructions were good. At first glance, the pleated sleeve looks intimidating, but it's really not. The written instructions are very straightforward and supported with detailed and clear illustrations. However, there was one confusing bit, and that had to do with lengthening the bodice. If you need to add length to your bodice, you should do it by adding the length to the hem rather than at the waist where the patterns pieces state "lengthen or shorten here." While the pattern pieces indicate the lengthening should occur at the waist, the written instructions will tell you to add the length at the hem in order to preserve the shape of the shirt. I added 1" length to mine.
Fit: For me, the fit was excellent! My full bust measures 35.5", which falls between a size 34 and 36 on the Forget-Me-Not size chart. The pattern has approximately 2" of negative ease in the bust, and since I preferred my top to be not so fitted, I opted for Size 36 (final garment measures 34 5/8" in the bust). Note, the rule of thumb is often to go with the smaller size when you are between sizes. While I chose size 36 as my "base" size, I graded out the pattern towards the waist. Grading out one size at the waist area is something I normally do (my waist measure 29" currently). In addition to grading out, I added 1" to them hem because I wanted my top slightly longer.
Ease of PDF Construction: The pieces came together very well. Like most PDF patterns, you need to trim the edges and either tape or glue the pieces together. The pattern pieces are printed in black and white as opposed to a different color for each size, but you can choose print only the size(s) you need by selecting the layers of the PDF. I also like that the pattern instructions will tell you specifically which pages you need to print for the pieces you need. For example, if you are sewing just the short sleeve version, you will easily know what pages you need print and avoid printing unnecessary pages.
Final Thoughts: Love this pattern! Can't wait to try more from Forget Me Not.
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