Deer and Doe Plantain - first make of 2014, a year without resolutions

While I am trying to catch up with all of your blogs -I had around 200 unread posts when I got back from visiting my family- and reading all your (sewing related) resolutions for 2014 while listening to One Direction -blame it on spending a week with my little sister-, I decided I will not make new year's resolutions.

I don't believe in radical changes in behaviour or mindsets anyway. I think change is an organic movement, slow but steady, with a lot of reflection, not a straight highway, but a steep mountain road with several difficult parts and a lot of turns, sometimes even U-turns.

So in 2014 I will continue to work towards the long term goals I have for myself.

But that doesn't mean that I don't have specific goals for 2014 either. But those are not really resolutions, but just plans, things that would be nice if I could accomplish them this year and other things that I absolutely have to do...

The most important of my plans is surviving the renovations of our appartment. This will be the second time we go through renovations, so we sort of know what to expect... I'm definitely looking forward to the end result, the whole process... not so much. We start next week! Definitely exciting!

Our intention is to drag this apartment into the 21st century, we have a few decades to cross...

I also have a few sewing plans, including:

- Finish my Albion in time for the competition on the Colette site

- Make trousers for my husband for his cousin's wedding at the end of May

- Execute the projects I have envisioned for my stash. I purchase fabric with specific projects in mind, just have to get of the couch and sink my needles in...

- Draft myself a dress

- Train my picture monkey personal photographer better so I get loads of cool pictures

Since you managed to read through all the above, I think I should show you a project as well.

I couldn't be more thrilled last week when I saw on Twitter that Deer and Doe released a FREE T-shirt pattern. Yes, that's right, a FREE pattern. Talk about a great Reyes* present.

I'm not big on sewing or wearing knits, so buying a 15€ pattern for a T-shirt is something I just cannot bring myself to. But if the pattern is free, that makes is an entire other story.

Plantain is a T-shirt fitted at the shoulders and flaring at the hips, with elbow patches. Short, long and 3/4 sleeves included in the pattern.

I had been contemplating what to do with this piece of geometric black and white fabric for a while. I was thinking along the lines of another Lola dress or maybe an Avocado hoodie, but when I saw Plantain, I knew they were meant to be thrown under the machine together.

I think I blend in well with the urban jungle

I didn't want a T-shirt but a loose sweater, so instead of making size 42 I made size 44 and I'm absolutely thrilled the way it turned out.

Yes, I did the unspeakable and wore leggings as trousers. I will now certainly go to fashion-hell.

Things I love about this pattern:

 - the low neckline. So many patterns out there are just very conservative, and I like a little collar bone on display.

- the flaring at the hips

- the elbow patches, even though I didn't add them

I added a waistband and sleevecuffs, because I like how they look and because I thought the sleeves would be a bit on the short side if I didn't add some length.

To draw the waistband and cuffs, I first measured the circumference of the pattern pieces, I left of the seam allowance, multiplied this by 90% and then added the seam allowance. I wanted the waistband to be 4 cm wide, so I made a pattern piece of 11 cm high. For the cuffs I went with 7 cm, so that piece was 17 cm high.

I could have made this shirt in about an hour if I had a serger, but since I had to sew the seams, finish the seams and then cut away all the excess fabric, it took me about 3 to 4 times longer, but since my man was on a business trip I really didn't mind the extra work to keep me occupied.

*Reyes are the 3 wise men and traditionally bring Spanish children that have been good all year gifts on January 6th.