My husband bought himself cycling parts and do-dads from me for his Christmas present, which was rather unsatisfying. I have no interest in bicycle pieces.
To have something under the Christmas tree, I made him a couple of t shirts. Usually I find man sewing rather dull, but I really enjoyed this project.
I made a pattern by chalk tracing over interfacing a t shirt he bought in London, from mega expensive cycling shop Rapha. (I did have a photo of the original shirt, but it has fallen off my camera).He really likes this t shirt, and has been wearing it as a casual shirt, but on making my version, I was struck by several excellent design features.
1. This appears to be a t shirt designed for cycling. The back is slightly longer than the front, and the sleeves are drafted for a forward position. This works just as nicely for sitting with terrible posture at the computer as it does for leisurely rides on the bike.
2. The side panels, like a cycling jersey, allow for a slim fit in the t shirt. I have used a wide coverstitch in black to emphasize these seams.
3. The back pocket is a fun place for embellishment, as well as practical for keeping coffee money safe whilst on the bike. The original shirt has a stop watch. I have made 2 versions so far, one with a bicycle, and this one with a wheel on the back pocket.
I am quite pleased with this Christmas present. If possible, I will try for a modelled shot after Christmas.
5 comments:
Great T-shirts and interesting observations about the design features.
Every good tee needs a pocket for coffee money, not just cycling ones. Lucky husband to get custom made shirts and you are once again filling me with coverstitch envy. Perhaps it is also a good tee for blog reading as I seem to spend a lot of time hunched over a computer myself!
Oh that's great fun. I really like your versions. Never thought of pockets on T shirts.
Great shirts. And I love the way you studied carefully the technical version... interesting that the sleeves are DESIGNED for a forward position, and I see why the back should be longer. Very professional job!!! Looks great.
Light coloured cycling tops are always a car safe option. He'll love it. Any design feature that makes cycling more comfortable is always appreciated.
Post a Comment