Or... how to make your Flashback Tee into a Hi-Low top with some swing. It's has a modern shape and it layers well over dresses.
Ok, first trace your Flashback pattern onto the middle of the paper. We're going to add width so you'll need some space. Make a mark two inches away from the cut line on the side opposite the fold line on both the front and back pattern pieces.
Now we're going to draw a diagonal line from the armpit to the mark that you made. This will add some swing to your Flashback Tee.
Repeat this step for both the front and the back pieces.
Now lets add the curves for the hi-low effect. My favorite adult sewing pattern is Megan Nielsen's Briar. That top has a high curve in the front and a low curve in the back. For the Flashback hack, I wanted to mimic that shape.
For the back piece, draw a mark on the same side as the fold two inches below the existing bottom. This will be your center back and the middle of the low curve.
I used my iron as a guide to trace a curved line.
Make sure that the highest part of your curve terminates at the existing cut line. If it doesn't, the side seams won't match up and it will look sad.
Now we're going to repeat this step on the front piece with the curve facing the opposite way - like a frown.
For the front side, start at the side opposite the fold again and use your iron to trace a curved line that begins at the existing cut line (don't add a two inch drop here). Now, artistic preference is yours about the depth of the curve. For me, it depends on the purpose of the garment. I made one of these to go over Geranium dresses and tutus last fall and it was pretty short in the front. For those that are meant to be worn alone, though - I keep the curve modest. She's a tall three-year old and I used the 3T size without adding any length and was still able to hem it even with the curve and it worked fine. But do some figuring to find out if you'll need to add a half an inch or so to the overall length of the garment before you begin your alterations.
Here is what the front looks like when it has been cut out. I used a thrifted women's turtleneck for this tee and ironed on an image that I found here. The sewing is the same as in the original. I frequently leave the bottom, curved hem raw but if you choose to hem it as I did in this example and find it getting a bit wobbly, you could try using fusible hemming tape.
And, drat! Sorry for the poor quality of the photos. My sewing space gets very little light:) Hope you get the basic idea though.
Other examples of this type of hack can be found here.
Joining Frontier Dreams today for Keep Calm and Craft On.
Tomorrow I'll draw a name for the hat giveaway. Please leave a comment over here if you'd like to be included!
