Grainline Studio knocks it out of the park, yet again! How do they do it? Jen’s latest pattern, the Lark Tee, is the perfect layering tee – not too tight, not to swingy, and it hugs all the right spots. Not only that, but with 4 different neckline variations and 4 different sleeve options, the Lark Tee is actually 16 different shirts in one pattern!
The pattern pieces include options for crewneck, scoop neck, v-neck, and boatneck variations, as well as cap sleeve, short sleeve, ¾ sleeve, and long sleeve. There is seriously something here for everyone. It’s slightly fitted through the chest and the hips, with flattering waist shaping through the midsection to create a more feminine silhouette than many other t-shirt patterns out there. I also really appreciate that this pattern is sized numerically, instead of S-M-L; I think that it makes for a more personalized fit, especially for a fitted tee.
Of course, I couldn’t wait to get started as soon as we received our patterns. I decided to start with a scoop neck and v-neck variation of the short sleeve and ¾ sleeve tops. The pattern comes together incredibly quickly – I think that matching my stripes up before cutting into the fabric took more time than the construction itself. As always, Jen’s instructions are clear and straight forward, even including tips on how to sew this top on either a serger or a regular sewing machine.
Both the scoop neck and v-neck hit at just the right spot without being too revealing or cutting me off in weird proportions. After making a couple of knit Scout Tee’s in the past, I think the waist shaping of the Lark Tee makes a huge difference in how flattering this body is. I also like the sleeve caps in the Lark Tee better than the Scout Tee when working with knit materials – I love the Scout, but I always had a hard time really loving the look of the slight shoulder gathers when working with knits. The Lark Tee solves that problem, as the sleeves are set in without any gathers or adjustments.
The type of fabric you choose will also make a big difference in how this top looks. All three of the tee shirts picture here are the same size, but they each fit a little bit differently (which you probably can't tell just from the pictures...). The green tee is probably the most fitted, and is the thickest knit with the least amount of stretch. The white stripe tee feels very flowy and drapey, and it is a lightweight knit with a lot of stretch to it. I'm definitely going to keep this in mind for my next tee - I might want to cut a size smaller for knits with more stretch if I want them to be more fitted. I think it really just depends on the look you're going for.
I should also note – I love PDF patterns as much as the next guy, but I am so glad that I have the printed version of the Lark Tee. Because there are so many options and variations available, I already can tell that I’ll be coming back to this pattern time and time again. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think my scrappy tape job of my typical PDF patterns will hold up to the use that this pattern will get. It's nice to have traced out pattern pieces for all the variations I plan on making.
What else can I say? In just a few short days, the Lark Tee has already become a staple in my closet. I might even go so far as to say it could turn into my most used pattern! Having so many variations in one pattern makes it so versatile and customizable, which is probably the thing I appreciate the most in any Grainline Pattern. I truly can’t recommend it enough. Grab your copy in the store!
