I’m a real creature of habit and often make the same patterns over and over again - hello nine Freyas - so I decided to make another Mandy Boat Tee. It’s a free pattern from Tessuti Fabrics and it can be cut from as little as 1.1m of fabric making it a total steal! You could even squeeze it out of one metre if you made the sleeves from a contrast fabric.
I knew this would make for a great transitional piece as the fabric is so bright and summery but the long sleeves would keep me cosy. Cotton jersey is one my favourite fabrics to wear as it keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer.
I made my first Mandy from the original one size pattern (equivalent to the new size three), and although I love the oversized style, I was keen to try out the new smaller sizes. I opted for the size one, which makes this much better for layering under cardigans and jackets. The pattern is an absolute joy to cut out, with only four pattern pieces! For someone who is, as I write this, still halfway through cutting out a coat, this was a total breath of fresh air! It’s also one of the quickest sewing projects I’m come across and I managed to whip this up in about an hour.
It’s worth noting that although the website and instructions specify that this should be made on an overlocker, I have made all of mine on my sewing machine which worked just fine! It’s definitely worth getting a twin needle for the neckline and hems if you don’t have one already though. Also, if you use a 4mm jersey twin needle (rather than the 2.5mm that the pattern recommends) you can have the joy of neatly finishing the folded edge on the inside too. I don’t own an overlocker, so this is particularly exciting to me! I usually make do with whatever threads are in my stash but as I had nothing even closely resembling this bright coral colour, I splashed out on matching thread too!
Having made a few now, I think the pattern benefits from a lightweight jersey, particularly if you’re making it oversized.
I have worn this top so much already as it goes with everything: jeans, skirts, under a pinafore dress, over a dress… the possibilities are endless and I love a bit of creative layering!
My fabric was provided free of charge by Sew Me Sunshine in exchange for this blog post. I selected the fabric and chose which pattern to make. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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