sloppy josephine T in action and flea market finds

continuing what seems to be a developing obsession with knits, may i present the sloppy josephine T from papercut patterns?

i loved this pattern.  it went together in less than an hour.  and who doesn’t love a super-cute t-shirt that brings jeans to a whole new level of comfortable chic?

unfortunately, most of my wardrobe planning went out the window when i stepped outside to go to the flea market.  BRRRR.  i quickly ran back inside, chastened by the frigid breeze.

LLADYBIRD, nettie of sown brooklyn, and peter of MPB, ready for an excursion…

but as my neighbor (not katie h, who was too busy with the kid to notice or care that i was freezing my rear off) reminded me, “IT’S MARCH.” i could tell that she was trying to be polite but that really she thought i was something of an idiot for even pretending it was warm enough to go sans-coat. i pleaded with her: “but it was so warm out yesterday!” and she was all, with implacable logic, “not at 9:30 in the morning.” so i grabbed the coat and then went back out to meet everyone at the chelsea garage flea market.

kenneth, sporting a coat made for his latest, unreleased craftsy class. yes, it is as eye-blinding and awesome in person.

we indulged in a looong coffee hour while we waited, fingers crossed, as lauren navigated the subway to meet us. friends, this girl is a born new yorker: she made it from queens to chelsea, alone, and it was only her second time on the train. then, scarcely had we set foot in the garage when peter spotted kenneth king, killing time and indulging in one of his favorite flea market searches for vintage silverware that he can purloin for his sewing tool kit. kenneth, ever chatty, had us all laughing while peter watched indulgently, like a patient uncle waiting for the kids to settle down. (if you haven’t had the experience of chattering with kenneth, may i direct you to Daughter Fish’s podcast? you’re welcome.)

as you can see, i did not heed kenneth’s advice to abjure from photographs too early in the morning. “wait for the puffiness to recede, that is what i always do!” true story.

we proceeded with our lap of the market, lauren and nettie just taking it all in while peter did some shopping for his ever-fickle, and fashionable, cousin cathy. i tried this one on for size, but alas, lack the glamour of the original inspiration. and cathy is more of an early-forties gal, anyway, making this New Look-style cocktail specimen not quite right for her.

i made a fairly thrilling score of my own, just moments after explaining to peter that my usual prowl at the market is for old cameras – still working and not too expensive.  i practically jumped for joy when when i spotted this number, still in its original box, the inside of the camera looking almost brand new and still having its original strap and flash.  for those of you who do not know, the original (70s-era) diana camera is pretty much the holy grail of plastic lens photography.  it’s dreamier than its contemporaries and even my usual go-to, the holga.  if you’ve seen the contemporary version stocked conspicuously in your local urban outfitters (for $100!!  WTF??), allow me to assure you that it has not a patch on the original.  and if you ever play with instagram, know that most of the filters are, in fact, inspired by the way that a diana captures images.  my current diana is getting a little long in the tooth, and i was thrilled to find a new one.

version #2, also made by me, in a slinky/sheer knit from mood fabrics. i love the vintage feel of the motif with the modern aesthetic of the garment.

Pattern Description:
Like the name implies, a sloppy fit t-shirt but with a fitted raglan sleeve with wide cuff. The perfect tee for slouching around in, or for tucking in to your high waisted jeans or skirts for a feminine look.

Pattern Sizing:
XXS-L. i cut an XXS and tapered to a XS-S at the hips – there is a lot of ease in this baby and YMMV.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
yes, definitely.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
i didn’t touch them, but i can say they are printed beautifully and seem easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
i admit, i think i could have drafted a go-to raglan T or even adapted something i already own, but i wanted to support the pattern because i think its aesthetic is dreamy. i loved the oversize fit and the wide neckline and i knew i would want to make it over and over again.

Fabric Used:
sheer and burnout jersey knit from mood fabrics.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
i did taper in the side seam near my tummy because i wanted a slimmer fit. i kept the length, which is perfect, and i love the sleeve length.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
i will sew it again, it is almost an instant TNT and a great way to play with knits. it sews up really quickly and easily without too much fuss. the only note i would mention is that for some reason, my neckband did not really fit the neckline. i am not sure if this was due to stretching, or carelessness on my part, or even me not paying enough attention when selecting the neckband size. i ended up dealing with the issue by making a little bit of gathering at the CF of the neckline for, honestly, a look i think i like even more than the original.

Conclusion:
it’s a pricey pattern BUT a gorgeous basic, so definitely something that i was happy to support even for the $$$. keep an eye out for free shipping sales…but i’ve heard that you can also use, for example, the built by wendy raglan T block from her book for a similar result. for me this pattern was definitely about checking out a new company and seeing how i liked it almost as much as getting a great T.

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