GGVNeck and 40K Sway Mash-Up

The George + Ginger V-Neck and 40K Sway mash-up is the basic tee that’s been missing from my life.

Most tops feature a round neckline of one sort or another, and I actually don’t like round necklines at all. Everything from the strangle-hold of a crew neck to the sloppy-looking large scoop necks. They’re definitely easy to sew, but far less flattering than a v-neck.

Enter the GGVneck. It’s just your basic v-neck tee, but it was the perfect foundation for building the basic tee I’ve been craving for a while now.

I had a very particular silhouette in mind: semi-fitted around the bust, extra ease around the waist and tummy, and (semi-)fitted around the hips. Plus long sleeves. Which meant making muslins for a change, especially considering the fabric for the final version wasn’t something I was willing to waste.

About the Fabric

Noir Plumes Feather Print Sweater Knit from Boho Fabrics. I snagged this during their moving sale for $4.90 a yard. This is not a sweater knit that’s going to keep you toasty on a frigid day, but it’s perfect for those days that start off cool and warm up. 75%+ horizontal stretch with good recovery, lightweight, and made of polyester, rayon, and spandex, it has absolutely gorgeous drape. And that print: yes please! I am all about this fabric.

About the Pattern(s)

As I said, the GGVneck is a pretty basic v-neck tshirt pattern. Short sleeves and no contour around the waist.

I stole the long sleeves from the 40K Sway Top because I love the long cuff (which I made even longer by adding 1″.) I redrew it this time and distributed the extra 1″ along the entire length of the cuff instead of at the end where it sits around the wrist which caused it to taper in just a bit too much for my taste.

The Things I Did

Muslin #1

I used some bamboo jersey from a Boho clearance box to test the fit. This jersey has a similar stretch and drape and I felt confident it would be a good gauge. I didn’t have quite enough, so I had to toss in some leftover faux denim jersey knit I used on my first Agility Tank to finish up the sleeves.

I graded from size 4 at the bust/arms to 0 at the waist to 8 at the hip, and then totally forgot that a muslin doesn’t have to be a completely finished garment. I went on my merry way and did everything from hemming to finishing the seams on this. So now I have this bonus tee to bum around in.

The verdict: It felt a tad too clingy around the tummy. But grading from 4 to 0 to 10 to 8 just seemed bizarre to me. So…

Muslin #2

I graded from 4 at the bust/arms to 10 at the hips with no contour around the waist. This time, I realized all I really needed was the front and back bodice pieces. So I used some freebie fabric similar to the blue jersey on muslin #1, and slopped together a front and back bodice. Like major slop. I didn’t have enough of it, so I had to cut the back in two pieces, and one of those pieces had a chunk missing from the neck. But it didn’t matter. The fit I cared about was along the torso.

The verdict: Looks good!

The Final Make

Graded from 4 at the arms/bust to 10 at the hips.
Lengthened the bodice by 1″.
Lengthened the arm cuffs by 1″.

And I even managed to sew the v-neck to perfection. No puckers, lays flat, centered.

Version #2

I made a second version out of poly rayon french terry from Made of Love Fabrics. It’s a heavier fabric than this noir plumes sweater knit, so the drape is slightly more rigid. I only had one yard of it, so I didn’t have quite enough to squeeze out the cuffs without piecing them together, and I didn’t want the extra seams. So once again, I cut into some leftover jersey from my second Agility Tank.

Notes for Next Time

The v-neck tends to be gappy when sitting. I’m wondering about sizing the neck down.
Drapier fabrics work way better with this silhouette. Though the french terry is comfortable, I don’t really like how it behaves in this make.
Maybe taper the hips in a bit. So grade from 4 to 8. This of course will always depend on the stretch of the fabric. For 75-100% horizontal stretch, size 8 around the hips is totally feasible.
I’m considering dressing up the neckline with some cross straps. That could also help with the gappy issue.