Pattern Review: La Brea tee by Halfmoon Atelier

I’m so excited to share about the release of the La Brea tee by Halfmoon Atelier. I was honored to be a part of the test group for the pattern. It’s a fun tee for woven or knit fabrics. With the shaping built in to the side seams and neckline, it’s a quick sew that uses less fabric.

In the photos I’m wearing the midi skirt Roma pattern that is also by Halfmoon Atelier. The tee and skirt really work well together.

Pattern Description:

The LA BREA tee is named after La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. It was in a vintage shop there that I found myself drawn to a rack of 80s throwback knit t-shirts with grown-on sleeves and bound necklines. I remembered wearing this style as a child and I couldn’t wait to get back home and sew one up for myself.

Although LA BREA will fit your “basic tee” needs, it’s got plenty of interesting details! LA BREA was drafted for both woven and knit fabrics, each resulting in a completely different look. Raw edges are neatly worked away with French seams and bias facing. Not familiar with these yet? No worries – the instructions guide you smoothly through the steps. Perhaps most exciting, though, is that this pattern comes in 18 different layered and nested sizes, each with a B-cup and D-cup options.

Additional tips on fitting and adjustments are included in the pattern instructions, meaning that you can easily create a LA BREA to fit YOUR beautiful body and personal style.

Pattern Sizing:

I sewed a size 3/4 in the test version that I made. I sewed a 3 at the neck and shoulder and a 4 at the sleeve cuff down to the bottom of the tee.

This pattern was drafted for a sewing B-cup and D-cup and approx. 168 cm or 5ft.6in. Step-by-step illustrated instructions guide you using a regular sewing machine as well as a serger.

approx. US size 0 to 36W 
halfmoon ATELIER patterns do not follow standard sizing charts, but newer patterns, including the LA BREA tee, range from a full bust of 76cm to 160cm (30″ to 63″) and a full hip of 86cm to 170cm (33.75″ to 67″). Information on sizing, as well as final garment measurements, are included in the instruction booklet.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you finished sewing? Yes

We’re the instructions complete and easy to follow? Yes

Fabric used (did you use the suggested fabrics in the pattern)? Yes. I used a cotton lawn fabric for this project in View B. I really like the version that I made but I’d love to make this again in a lighter weight fabric like a satin. Voile tends to be my fabric cotton fabric base for tops so I’d love to try a cotton voile as well.

The knits that I have in my stash all contain lycra or elastane and the pattern, View A calls for a more stable knit. I might try using a stretchy jersey but size down.

View A

View A is most suited to light- to mid-weight knits, without additional lycra or elastane, such as 100% cotton, linen, hemp or modal knits, etc. If you’d prefer to use a stretch knit (eg. 95% cotton, 5% elastane), size down 1 or 2 sizes. View A requires between 80cm to 170cm (7/8yard to 1-7/8yard), depending upon fabric width and pattern size. Specific requirements are included in the pattern instructions, as well as in a table at the end of this product description. 

View B

View B is most suited to light- to mid-weight wovens, such as cotton, linen, rayon, silk, double gauze, etc. The drape of the fabric will change the look of the final garment. View B requires between 70cm to 150cm (3/4yard to 1-5/8yard), depending upon fabric width and pattern size. Specific requirements are included in the pattern instructions, as well as in a table at the end of this product description.

As the same pattern pieces work for both views, feel free to get creative and mix up the features! 

NOTIONS
Coordinating thread, bias tape, ball-point or stretch needle.

Did you alter the pattern in any way? I am in between sizes so at the waist & hips I graded the seam allowance to 1/4″ (from 3/8″).

I sewed the seams with a standard sewing machine and then serged the edges. Before I serged the side seams, I clipped into the underarm curves to improve the flexibility.

Was there anything you disliked or would change? In the test version I found that the front neckline was a little high on me. The pattern changed with the released version to lower the neckline. I like the test version that I made and I will get a lot of wear out of it but I’m looking forward to making another version in a woven satin fabric in the released pattern version.

Would you sew it again? Absolutely! I love how little fabric this pattern uses. I’ve had a few special fabrics sitting in my stash, waiting to be sewn up. With the size that I sewed in View B, the tee calls for less then 1 yard of fabric, which is so amazing for a tee! The pattern doesn’t have bust darts as the shaping is built in to the garment construction.

Would you recommend it to others? Yes! It’s a fun pattern and is perfect for making right before a date night or prior to vacation/holiday sewing.

Do you consider the pattern beginner/intermediate/advanced? Advanced Beginner. For View B some care is needed to not stretch out the neckline and sleeves as you sew the bias tape facing and sleeve bands, with lightweight fabrics.

Does the pattern include layers for easy printing? Yes

Seam allowances used in the pattern: 3/8″ or 1 cm

Is the pattern cut or no cut pages? Cut pages