Jalie Patterns' Blog

For the cover of our latest Clara leggings pattern, we wanted a cute sport bra to go with it. We hacked our Julia bralette pattern into a low impact bra with exposed elastic band and hook-and-eye closure in the back.

We changed a few things but kept the modern design with curved V neckline and delicate racerback finished with foldover elastic, with adjustable straps. HOW TO REMOVE THE DART

On piece C, you will find a small, rounded dart in sizes P and up. To remove it: Using a ruler, trace a line from the tip of the dart to the tip of the pieceCut on the line, keeping a tiny bit of paper at the tip as a hingeClose the dart by bringing its corners together and tapeRedraw the bottom edge of the pieceRemove excess paper. You have your new front piece!

Removing the dart this way will remove some fabric overall. This means more compression, which is what you need in a sport bra(lette). 
PREPARING THE ELASTIC Soft, wide elastic band is not always easy to find. You might be lucky and find so…

There are many ways to bind a neckline but there is one we like in particular. We use it for the dolman and raglan tee we talked about in our previous post about our top 5 t-shirt patterns, we use what some customers refer to as a "skinny binding".

The binding is indeed fairly narrow, but what is special about it is that it sits on one side of the garment, not both.  As you can see in the photo below, there is also no raw edge visible anywhere, no special needle or machine required.

It is a delicate, "petit" binding :)

WHERE WE USE IT  Well... on quite a few patterns :)

3245 raglan tee / racerback tank, 3024 knit dress3352 dolman top3246 maxi dress3138 gymnastics leotard (for armholes without elastic!)3136 skating dress3133 baby bodysuits



You can also see it in action in our 3136 Skating Dress Video Tutorial (at 1:29):


GO TO THE JALIE SITE TO READ THE COMPLETE TUTORIAL

You will find many t-shirt options in our catalog. You have never sewn one and wonder which one would be the best option for you? This post will help you pick the right pattern and also compare our top 5 t-shirt patterns, showing the tops in the same fabric and size so you can compare apples with apples.
First off, let's have fun with a little quiz helping you pinpoint what you are looking for in a t-shirt pattern:
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GREAT T-SHIRT PATTERN?
FIT / EASE I prefer when t-shirts are fitted, with slim sleeves that you can wear as a base layer. ⬤I feel more comfortable in semi-fitted tops ⬤⬤I am really into the new boxy trend, still looking for a loose-fitting top that is not boxy ⬤⬤ LENGTH I am tall and longer t-shirts look better on me ⬤⬤⬤I am petite and I don't want the hem to go lower than my hips ⬤⬤ NECKLINE FINISH I prefer bands over binding because it is easier to sew. No fuss. ⬤⬤I think bindings make a more professional finish ⬤⬤A t-shirt without band or b…