"And I loooooove you"

Hot Patterns Riviera T-Shirt

With a name like "Once, Twice, Three Times a T-Shirt", how could you not get Lionel Richie stuck in your head? If you need a refresher, here's a video of Lionel performing live in 1987.




Fabric
Drapey rayon/lycra jersey from my local fabric shop.

Notes on pattern construction/modifications
I made the "frilled sleeve" top and lengthened it to wear as a dress. One thing to note about this top is that the wrong side of the fabric wil show on the sleeves, so you'll want to make sure you use fabric that looks okay on the reverse side, or line it.

I fall between an 8 and a 10 on the Hot Patterns size chart, so I cut an 8 on top and flared out a bit as I lengthened it to dress length.

I experimented with a zig zag stitch to finish the raw edges but I didn't care for how it looked, so I decided to use a fusible tape to finish the sleeve hems.



Lite Steam-a-Seam 2 is designed for sheer and lightweight fabrics.



Because the sleeve hem is curved, I cut small pieces of the fusible tape and aligned them with the curve. I pressed with a warm iron to fuse, with silk organza in between the fabric and the iron as rayon/lycra jersey really does not tolerate heat well.



The result is a clean, fluid hem. Now, I have my doubts about how this is going to hold up in the wash! I really wanted an invisible hem look, but I may end up stitching them down anyway.



The bodice is essentially a rectangle, with just a bit of curving at the waist. As you can see, the neckline and shoulder seams are one long straight line. There are facing pieces included for finishing the neckline. I prepared those but in the end I didn't use them. I finished the neckline with Steam-a-Seam also because it was kust so darn easy! Again, I'll probaby stitch this down before washing.

Conclusion
I approached this as a 'wearable muslin' since people (including me) have had varying success with Hot Patterns. I can wholeheartely recommend the "frilled sleeve" Riviera tee, it's a super fast and easy project, especially if you are looking for a fun party top or dress. This would also work great in a woven fabric. I'm planning to make another!

Leslie pointed out to me this dress in the June issue of Lucky Magazine, it's a very similar look by French Connection. But I can guarantee you the cost of the pattern and 2 yards of fabric won't come anywhere near the $148 that FC is charging for that dress...