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Pattern Throwdown: Knit T-Shirt Edition

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Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please! It’s time for a Pattern Throwdown. Three will enter the ring, but only one will emerge victorious!

Pattern Throwdown - Knit Tshirt

Our contenders are:

Your referee is Jennifer W. from We Bought a Manor. Weighing in at “none of your business,” she is a rectangle from the front, apple from the side, and all party in the back. Her measurements are:

  • Bust: 48 inches
  • Waist: 44 inches
  • Hips: 54 inches
  • Bra Size: 44D
  • RTW: Size 20-22
  • Usual Sewing Size: 20-24

A few important notes from the referee before we begin:

  • The Union St. is sewn from an off-white jersey (95% cotton, 5% spandex), whereas the Lark and Concord are sewn from a slightly thinner, off-white bamboo jersey. The bamboo jersey is softer and has significantly more drape, so the Union St. tee in these photos naturally has more structure than its competitors.
  • The Lark’s bottom hem has been shortened four inches (to hit at a length I prefer), but the original pattern length is similar to the Concord. (I went back and shortened the Concord after these photos were taken, since I prefer my t-shirts to hit at mid-hip and this was the tunic length version.)
  • I didn’t do the cuffs or curved hem on the Corcord – my version is quick and simple, just looking at the fit of the neckline and torso. In future iterations, I’ll play with the fancier details.
  • The sleeve lengths for all three t-shirts were eye-balled by me on the cutting table and are not true to the pattern pieces – partly because I wanted some variety in my “white t-shirt pile” and partly because I was running out of fabric and had to make some hard choices.

In short – for this round of Pattern Throwdown, I’m focused on finding the best “basic tee” pattern – something I can make and wear 100 times over the next few years. I can play with the details (cuffs, color-blocking, sleeve and hem lengths) indefinitely – what I wanted to find here is the basic block that fits the best through my shoulders, bust, waist, and hips.

For that reason, I’m photographing all three t-shirts without any styling and wearing a simple pair of black leggings. Let the record show that this is a fair fight. In all the photos below, the Union St. is on the left, the Lark is the middle, and the Concord is on the right.

Let the throwdown commence!

Round 1: Pattern Quality and Instructions

Winner: Lark

Honorable Mention: Concord

All three of the t-shirts have good bones. They all come with multiple necklines and multiple sleeve options. The instructions are all solid, and Lark and Concord have sew-alongs online if you need extra hand-holding. (After sewing up a couple t-shirts, you’ll probably never need to look at the directions again.)

In the end, I give the edge to the Lark, because it has the most options for necklines and sleeve lengths (4 each). And even more importantly, it comes with a separate pattern piece for every variation – e.g. there is a separate piece for the v-neck, boatneck, scoop neck, and crew neck, as well as a separate piece for each sleeve length. When making a bunch of t-shirts to fill a wardrobe hole, I’ve really appreciated being able to pull the exact pattern piece that I want without fiddling with tracing different necklines or folding inconvenient parts of the pattern down.

However, Concord has the advantage of having a curved hemline (with facing), arm cuffs, and optional sleeve tabs. These are really nice features that can elevate a t-shirt to something nicer when you are looking for something “beyond basic.” Plus, it has cup sizes! For those curvy ladies with a significant bust, being able to choose your bodice piece based on cup size may be a game changer that ends the competition right here. For these reasons, it gets an honorable mention.

Round 2: Neckline and Shoulder Fit

Winner: Lark

Front View

I found the shoulder fit of the Lark almost perfect – and I loved the shape of the scoop neck. The one thing I would change is the height of the sleeve head – you can see that it sits away from my shoulders a bit – both the Union St. Tee and the Concord skim more nicely over my rounded shoulders.

The wider neck band for the Union St. Tee was hard to lay flat, both the Lark and the Concord have a narrower bank that I think lays nicer and is more flattering. After washing, I found that the Concord band seam (which is the narrowest) wants to flip around and peek out, so I give the edge to the *slightly* wider Lark band.

Neckline View

Obviously, the Concord has the broadest scoop (showing my bra straps), but this is actually more a result of the upper back bodice piece being too broad – I need to take a 2-inch wedge out of the center back. Once I do that, the shoulders will be brought in to the right fit – and should fix the seam line connecting the back bodice to the sleeves.

Even with the narrowed back, the Concord will still have the deepest plunging neckline, which I think is quite flattering, but might not be office-appropriate (at least, not without regular cleavage checks). The Lark seems to be a good mix of scooped-but-not-too-scooped for my preference.

Round 3: Bust Fit

Winner: Concord

Side View

The Union St. Tee has a more relaxed fit than the Lark (which is specifically designed to be close-fitting for layering) and the Concord (Cashmerette Patterns are known to highlight the bust area).

Before I saw the photos, I thought the Lark had the best fit through the bust – snug but not too tight. Then I saw the side photos and realized that the armpit is pulling quite dramatically towards the bust – indicating that it needs an FBA. (I subsequently noticed that I can adjust the shirt to minimize the pulling, but don’t want to worry about making adjustments throughout the day.)

Without question, the Concord has the nicest fit through the bust when viewed from all angles. The armscye is beautifully proportioned with the least amount of wrinkling.

Round 4: Waist and Hips Fit

Winner: Concord

Back View

The Union St. Tee is more relaxed, as noted above – and therefore may be the best choice for those who like to hide their curves – especially in a cotton jersey or interlock.

I realize that the back view of the Lark is somewhat obscured in my photos. (I didn’t notice that the back wasn’t pulled all the way down. I was rushing to take all the photos in the front living room before the kids’ bus arrived home and I flashed everyone walking by…). So you’ll have to take my word for it that the fit around the hips is a bit snugger than the Concord, but not “sausage casing” tight.

In fact, the Lark is snug all the way down – perfect for layering. It’s not unpleasantly tight, but just right for wearing under a sweater, cardigan or blazer. I would comfortably wear it with jeans too – although it was definitely too tight to wear with leggings.

The Concord, on the other hand, is snug through the bust, but then slightly relaxed through the waist and hips – enough to highlight curves without sticking to them. Worn tucked in or loose, I feel like the Concord hits the right middle-ground. (And it would be easy to size up in the waist/hips for an even looser look, if desired.)

And the Champion is…

Straight of the envelope, I have to give the edge to the Lark – the fit through the shoulders is spot on, and I love all the options for neckline and sleeve length. While the bust does pull, I can minimize that by 1) adjusting the fabric a bit when I put it on or 2) bucking up and doing an FBA to amend the pattern.

But as long as I’m going to do adjustments, I might as well fix the shoulder fit on the Concord. I suspected that just bringing the back shoulders about an inch on each side would be an easy, quick fix. To test the theory, I tried it out yesterday… and lo and behold – a fit through the shoulders just as good as the Lark, but with a more flattering armscye and torso/hips that skims over my curves. Plus, bringing in the shoulders on the back fixed the gaping neckline (e.g. peeking bra straps) problem in the front. Here are the results (albeit with a less flattering bra underneath):

yellowconcord

So, with my amendments to the Concord back piece, I think it becomes the go-to winner for me. Easy, flattering, with enough options to keep my wardrobe (and me) entertained all year round.

That said, all three patterns have a beloved place in my sewing room. I will continue to stick with the Union St. Tee when I want a more relaxed, slouchy look (for “t-shirt with jeans” days). The Lark will continue to be my standard for layering. And the Concord will be my staple for “nicely put together” days.

Everyone is a winner!

Next time on Pattern Throwdown…

I love these kind of compare and contrast “competitions, and I’m eager to try another one. So tell me, dear readers. What kind of pattern would you like to see me tackle next? I’m thinking maybe a trio of pencil skirts. Or straight-legged pants. Something to cover my bottom half, since I can’t just walk around in knit t-shirts and underwear (or so they tell me).

Comments

  1. Hi Jennifer,
    What a great article and so helpful! I’ve taken a v-e-r-y long break from garment sewing, which is why I haven’t found your “throw down” before. Definitely going to give that Concord a try. Thank you so much!

  2. For a pencil skirt, what about the Connie Crawford one Butterick has…B6111. There’s a flounce at the bottom, but easy enough to just lengthen the panels and leave that off. All of the seams should be flattering and great for fitting, and it goes up to a 50″ hip.

  3. I loved your review and the pictorial comps! I vote for pencil skirt throw doe as I’m need to make one soon for my daughter.

  4. I will definitely try the Concord! I have similar measurements. Now I know the adjustments I will need to make will be simpler than an FBA…………….Thank you!!!!!!!

  5. Thank you for writing this review. I have similar measurements and am just re-starting my sewing self. So I need inspiration. T-Shirts are a terrific place to start. Your “voice” in the writing was funny and engaging, so thanks for taking that extra effort.

    My favorite learning from your post was how to fix the bra strap issue. I think my shoulders are more narrow than the patterns think they should be from my measurements, so I spend tons of time trying to keep the bra from view. From your post, it seems like a tuck in the back pattern piece is what I need to do more research about. So I will use the tip from here to read more about how to do that. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Keep up the writing and posting. I’m a fan.

  6. This was such a great post. I love the comparison and descriptions you gave for each. I can’t tell you how much this was needed. Please do one on pencil ckirts and maybe another on wrap dresses. JUST AWESOME

  7. This is just awesome!!! Thank you so much for all the hard work you did in creating this post, I have the Concord pattern so I just need to bust it out now!!

    • Do it! I had it in my stash for a couple of months, but hesitated pulling it out because I was happy with the Lark fit. But I’m so glad that I did!

  8. This was a fun read! Thanks! I wasn’t familiar with the Hey June (maybe because I’ve never heard of that line), and I’m not interested in the other 2, but I thank you for this review and compare/contrast. You’re spot on in that comment that there are tons of T-shirt patterns out there. Someone could probably do a cage match like this on just freebie T patterns. Not that I’m saying someone should, just that someone could. (haha) Or even compare/contrast 3 different T patterns from one company. I’ve made (for example) a few different HP T shirts (not knit tops) that had different features like necklines, sleeve shapes, and arm scyes, and they really made a difference in fit, comfort, and how I felt in them.

    • Thanks! When I wrote it, I mentally narrated it with that boxing announcer voice (“let’s get ready to RUUUUUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLEEE!!!).

      Trying to do a compare/contrast of ALL the tshirt patterns would be like organizing all of college basketball — you’d have to have an entire season of competition just to get down to the final 64 teams, then do a proper “Final Four” bracket-style event. Too much for me!

      • I like seeing it more like World Cup soccer so we can have both the “RUUUUUUUUUMMMMBBBLLLE” guy and the “GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!” guy. You know what? Doing a bracket type series with different reviewers doing reviews of similar garments and then trying to aggregate what works for whom and in what situations could be a really cool series. Like which patterns work better as active wear Ts? Which are better for layering? Which have the most options? There could even be repeat reviews by women with different shapes. For example, I’m fairly small busted for my overall shape and size, so I’ve been avoiding Cashmerette as my cup size is barely at her C-cup starter draft. Would I have as many fit alterations as I suspect I would with her patterns? That sort of question could be a part of someone’s roundup.

        anyway- GGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Thank you so much for this entertaining and informative read. I am yet to finish my first concord so I’m a bit in awe. I’m not into pencil skirts but would read the post anyway! Agree jeans not suitable for a throw down but an exploration of how to make one pattern work would be good. My favourite RTW jeans are on the way out so I’m considering a pattern plus taking the favourite ones (which don’t fit perfectly but are as good as it gets) apart to make my own pattern. Any trouser pattern comparison would be good. I feel I learn a lot from reviews and really appreciate the work that goes into them – sewing and writing and photos!

    • Thanks! It is incredibly gratifying when people leave comments — writing and posting a review can feel a bit like flinging my work into a black hole and I LOVE it when people comment.

      I’m busy plotting my skirt/pants approach — I find bottoms to be quite intimidating, but a throwdown competition is a good way to get over my fears!

  10. Hi,
    I have to say I just love your humor. Great article, you answered basic questions about a wardrobe staple. In the process you saved me money and time. 🙂 And you know what that means! Whoot whoot, more time to sew and dollars for fabric.
    Now let’s find that perfect pencil skirt! Quick, before I have to slap another coat of paint on the carriage house. 😀

    Thanks! Merry Pinbender

    • More fabric for everyone! (As I consider my next throwdown post — either pencil skirts or pull-on pants — my first thought was “well, I’m going to need to buy 15 yards of neutral stretch sateen to make it a fair fight!”).

  11. Great comparison. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’ve made Lark and loved it better than any other knit t pattern that I tried. I’ve not tried the other 2 you reviewed
    I vote for the pants or pencil skirt for future comparisons.

    • If you are busty, I highly recommend the Concord — just having that perfect armscye (whcih you can layer over other patterns like the Lark) is worth the price of the entire pattern in my opinion!

  12. Thanks for this fun post. It’s so helpful to see a side by side comparison.
    I’d love to see a wide-legged pants post. Maybe the Hot Patterns Marrakesh compared to a couple of others?

    • I think you might have to go to another sewist for a wide-leg pant comparison — I just can’t approve of them. (Perhaps because I look like a clown when I go for anything more voluminous than a boot cut.) I know people love them, but I’ve never seen a pair of culottes that didn’t look goofy to me. 🙂

      • They might look goofy on me, too. That’s why I want to see how goofy someone else looks before I give it a try. 🙂 I suppose there may be an easier approach to this, though.

  14. This is a fabulous post! Thanks so much for sharing. I think straight legged stretch pants would be great for a throw down. I’ve been playing with the Style Arc Barb pants. I can get a reasonable fit quite easily, and am using them as practice to get a good fit.

    I love the cardigans suggestion, as well as the hoodie. I’ve made a couple of Halifax Hoodies by Hey June, inspired by Meg’s version on CSC a few months ago. It’s a lovely pattern, and when I stop feeding the children and start buying fabric again (huh!), I’m going to make another one, adjusted to curve a little more through the back and front waist.

    Thanks you once again for sharing, and to everyone else who does. I’ve been intending to write a review for CSC for nearly a year now and haven’t done it yet, so I’m extra appreciative of people who do put the effort in all the way to publication.

    • THANK YOU! Comments on these posts are like catnip — I love every one of them! Having good feedback in the comments makes me so much more enthusiastic and eager to write another one. 🙂

  15. Thanks for this review! It was so interesting to see all 3 together, and also to see how you narrowed the shoulders on the Concord. The wide shoulders/neckline on that pattern are one of the things that has kept me from bothering with it, but your mod looks so easy!

    Add me to the list of people who’d like to see a similar comparison for pants 🙂

    • I’ve made two more Concords over the weekend, and the shoulder fix has been essential for me! (Also: I realized yesterday that certain jersey fabrics tend to grow over the day — especially natural fibers like linen jersey and rayon jersey) so sizing down is something to consider!

  16. Great review! I’d find a throwdown featuring straight trousers with stretch waists very useful

  17. i’m very surprised and disappointed that a t-shirt {and there are many} from http://patternsforpirates.com was not used … there’s the slim fit raglan {sfr}, the womans regular raglan, layer me up {lmu}, women’s henley, boyfriend v neck, and others i’ve left off …

    why not one of these?

    • I’m not quite sure how to take your comment — I sewed up three patterns that I liked and which met the criteria of “basic tshirt.” I wasn’t paid or compensated in any way, so I didn’t feel any obligation to hit particular brands or pattern companies. There are literally DOZENS of knit t-shirt patterns out there, and I don’t feel compelled to try them all.

      If you’d like to sew up any/all of the P4P patterns and write your own review, I’m sure the CSC editors would be happy to consider it for publication.

  18. I would love to see a straight leg pant throwdown. Would you consider an elastic waist version? My waist and hips are so close in size that a set-in waistband just seems to be a waste of time.

    • Yes! I love the idea of a “stretch woven” pants throwdown — maybe the Jalie Elenore and the Style Arc Barb Pants…what would our third option be? Maybe the Sabrina Slims by Love Notions…

      • My vote goes for this throwdown! With fall coming, I need some good pants and all three of those look awesome.

      • I just finished the Style Arc Talia pants and I love them! The Barb was too close fitting for me, and the lack of pockets was a problem, but the Talias are perfect.

  19. Thank you for this informative and entertaining read. I like that each of the T-shirts has a place in the wardrobe (I have all of the same categories) and it is nice to know which ones fit in which areas when I’m looking for something specific.

    I would love to see more pattern throw downs! A fitted skirt/pencil skirt type thing would be ideal.

  20. Good for you thinking up a pattern comparison and then doing such a creative job writing it! I’m kind of a lurker, sitting back admiring everyone’s sewing projects but still haven’t started one of my own.

    If you can’t find a good pencil skirt pattern perhaps a simple dress with princess seams would be fun?

    I also want to mention that the link to your blog above goes to an error page. 🙁

    • Thanks! I’ve forwarded your note about the broken link on to the CSC editors so hopefully they can get it fixed!

      I have a love/hate relationship with princess seams — when they work it is AWESOME, but I struggle if any pattern modification is necessary. My bust seems to hit higher than more patterns, and adjusting a dart is so easy…

  21. Love your T shirt competition! I would love to see straight trousers. I am a rectangle with a huge apple starting at just below my bust, and have a problem finding any slacks, jeans, or trousers that have a high enough rise to hit where my waist is actually located. Anything that hits more an an inch below the waist and the waistband folds down and exposes my belly.
    Thank you for this wonderful group!

    • Oh my goodness, I think you might be my body twin! I also have the “waist rolling down” problem, which is so awful I still have PTSD thinking about some of the more egregious experiences. I have a couple patterns in mind — we’ll see if I can get my act together!

  22. I loved the throwdown! Thanks for sharing. I’d love to see the pencil skirt or pants, but sweaters and cardigans would be fun also!

    • YES!!! I can’t believe that I didn’t think of sweaters/cardigans. Sweatshirt/hoodies might also be a good contender — especially as the weather gets cooler. I will examine my pattern stash this weekend and see what I can come up with!

  23. Please compare straight leg pants. Your article comparing T-shirts was fascinating. Thankd for all the photos.

    • You are very welcome! I’ve spent the last couple days trying to narrow down three pants patterns that I think have a chance of working. I’m not particularly experienced with pants, so I’m a little nervous!

      • I vote for the “Barb” pant by stylearc. One of my all time favourites. Slim leg, but not too skinny. Stylearc pants fit my full round backside well. The front pattern piece is shorter and the backside is much longer fitting well my body type.

  24. well, that one sure was fun to read, and superr interesting too! And I guess in the end, the real winner depends on what you want to do with you tshirt, and how you like them…
    I’d really love to see other articles of the sort! I don’t know on what though… but I guess a pencil skirt fight could be nice!

    • I spent a couple hours yesterday looking for pencil skirt options and I was very disappointed to find that most of the patterns didn’t come in true “plus sizes” — I’m not willing to grade a pattern up (you want my money, you design the pattern in my size), so the search continues…

      • Didn’t the Colette patterns and blue gingerdoll have slim pencil skirts. Also Paprika patterns. And the Magic pencil Skirt pattern blogged over and over by Debbi Cook at stitches and seams. I have 2 of them and have made the magic pencil skirt and the Colette pattern before deciding on me a more A line skirt was more to my taste.

        • Colette has the Mabel. Tenterhook Patterns (specializing in plus sizes) has a skirt with 3 options, one of which is a pencil skirt. HotPatterns plain and simple skirt has an A-line and pencil option. Hot Patterns also has the slouchy fly front skirt that pencils at the hem. I also like the Deceptively Slim Skirt at HP. Another pull-on knit option is the Love Notions Sybil Illusion, which has numerous option for length and skirt style (including pencil).

          (I tried to post links, but I get a message that this post is spam.)

  25. Love the throwdown! I’ve made the Lark and have the Concord pattern but haven’t made that one yet. I agree that the Lark can be snug through the middle which isn’t my preference.

    • Yeah — I think the Lark is PERFECT for layering, but if you want it as a solo-layer you need to either size up, or be VERY comfortable showing the world every curve on your body.

  26. Jennifer, I loved, loved, loved this throwdown! I’ve been looking around at t-shirt pattern options and honestly had no idea how to choose. Now I do!

    As to the next throwdown? I’m with WheelyBad. I’d like to narrow the straight-legged pant/jeans field (and start with contenders that don’t doom me to failure!).

    • I think I’m willing to try straight-leg pants, but jeans are definitely too intensive for me to try three patterns at once in a “pattern throwdown” style. (All that top-stitching makes my eyes cross!) Plus, I’ve heard that the quality of denim has a TREMENDOUS impact on the fit of the jeans — which is another vote against the pattern throwdown concept, since I don’t want to cut into really good/expensive fabric to test the fit. For jeans, I think I’d rather pick a single pattern and do multiple iterations/fittings until I got it right. But that might be an interesting post too — photo documentation of each fitting to examine what went wrong and how to fix it…

  27. I’d love to know how you adjusted the back, I have a similar fit issue. Can you point out a helpful tutorial or any chance of a future article explaining this adjustment? Wonderful content, thanks for sharing!

  29. Hi Jennifer,

    Superb run down of what look like three user friendly and beginner friendly patterns. Like you I think I’d have all three, I have the layering tees, the slouchy tees and the fitted tees in my wardrobe and like to keep a selection of all three in various colours for all the reasons you mentioned. I have been researching tee patterns myself and thanks to your excellent review these three all have to come into contention. Thank you for sharing this with us 🙂

    You asked what we’d like to see on a Pattern Throwdown. I’m keen to sew up some jeans so I’d be very interested in a comparison of patterns for them. I have brought an online class to learn to take a pattern from an existing garment so I’m trying that to make a pair. Many shop brought jeans are really low rise and no good for me. I wear both stretch and rigid styles so either would be of interest.

    Happy sewing everyone!

    • I mentioned above that I don’t think jeans are a good “pattern throwdown” option, because they are 1) highly dependent on good quality denim and I don’t want to cut into the good stuff to try/compare patterns and 2) they may require several iterations of muslins before getting the right fit. I’m not sure that any of us want to do 3-4 muslins + the “good pair” for three different patterns each. (At least, I don’t!)

      That said, I TOTALLY agree with you on the challenge of low-rise jeans/pants. I inevitable end up adding 2-3 inches to the back crotch curve just to get them “no crack” appropriate.

  30. I loved this throwdown, thank you so much for doing it! I’ve only just discovered the Concord and love it.
    I’d love to see a pencil skirt throwdown, with elasticated/stretch waists.

    • I looked around yesterday (during a boring conference call — don’t tell!) at pencil skirt patterns and didn’t find many that went up to my size. I’ll look around some more, but I may end up having to draft one myself!

            • @l’anne ……

              actually, it IS free … from the site: *Options include: mid rise, high rise, above knee, below knee, midi length and optional walking vent.

              * ***This pattern has a SPECIAL promotion— you must be a member of the P4P FB group to get your hands on it! Come join us and see! <3*
              register to join the group and the skirt with all its iterations is free, as are the pegleg pants …

              free … you just needed to read a bit further …..

              • If a sewist has to jump through hoops like join a club to get a code to get the pattern free, then the pattern isn’t really free. I read and saw that clause. But I am not joining a FB group for a company that I haven’t sewn anything from to save $5. I won’t tell someone that LN’s Laundry Day Tunic is free because to get it free you need to get a code by joining the FB group. PR gave paying members their Linda top for free (not a paying member now so I’m not sure the offer stands), so it was free for me, but it wasn’t for everyone. Free isn’t free when strings are attached.

                Before I join a FB group for a company, I want to be familiar with it because joining, to me, says I endorse or like that company, and I won’t do that if I have no experience with their product or service.

              • Do you work for Patterns for Pirates? Because your comments come across as blatant shilling for them. Other companies aren’t included in the Throwdown, but I don’t see anyone pushing Jalie or any of the Big 4 or other companies’ patterns.

                • stitcher …

                  lol lol … no, i don’t work for p4p pattern company; they are self-employed designers with amazing pants, dress, top, jacket patterns encompassing sizes from xs to xxxl women’s sizes and childrens sizing, also … with all kinds of adjustments and additions to the downloadable patterns … their pencil skirt and pegleg pants patterns are free for joining their group {one is NEVER pressured to purchase anything from p4p} … it’s just a great place to find usable, stylish, current, trending patterns …

                  as for other companies being mentioned here, if you were to go back through the posts, you will also find patterns not specifically used for the *throw down* mentioned …. besides, it doesn’t hurt to talk about other patterns, as if these used were the only ones to *sanctioned* to talk about … i’m sure that’s no the consensus of the owner of this site …

                  we are big girls and i’m sure we can play nice …. listen, learn from others ….

                  • Yeah, we’ve been suggesting other patterns when there has been a request for ideas. For example, several people have mentioned that a smack down for pencil skirts would be good, and some other folks have suggested potential patterns. Both of us did that. Some people have suggested a certain type of pants pattern and made suggestions for possible patterns that fit that garment type that they’d like to see in a review. And you know what? That’s totally fair game. If someone notes “I haven’t found a skirt in my size,” and you know of a pattern, why not suggest it? Or if someone uses a specific pattern as an exemplar of a type of garment they’d like reviewed, again, fair game.

                    I think what may be a factor in how some of us might be responding to your P4P suggestions is because your initial post to this review was to chastise the reviewer for not picking patterns you like. You like P4P, and that’s great, but rather than appreciating the work and time that went into this review, and the real usable info in it, you basically told her what you wanted to see her produce.

                    I agree with Jennifer’s suggestion to your comment. Really, if you love these patterns so much, and they are the great shakes you say, please get in touch with the CSC editors and work on doing a few reviews– either individual reviews or a compare/contrast of different P4P knit tops. I’m sure many of us would be interested.

                    There are SO many (seriously a metric shittonne, metaphorically speaking) of knit T/ casual knit tops that just narrowing down to a few, even to a few brands, was an undertaking in itself! I mean, I guess I’m a bit surprised the free (truly free) SBCC Tonic T wasn’t in here because it has a draft for curvy figures, a large size range, and has been very popular, but it isn’t without fit issues for some people, but I have no reason to reprimand Jennifer for not including a pattern I like here. This is one of the most fun compare/contrast reviews I’ve read in awhile, and I enjoyed it and appreciated the work it involved.

  31. Fantastic article! I only have the Concord but I have to say it’s definitely my go-to pattern straight out of the printer.

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