A bit of a boxy tee face-off!
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| Left: Mandy Boat Tee; Right: Grainline Hemlock |
I was making a Mandy Boat Tee a couple weeks ago, and then, surreptitiously Grainline Studios released their Hemlock tee redux, so I decided I would do a little face-off!
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| Mandy Boat Tee |
The (free!) Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee and the Grainline Hemlock patterns have been been around for several years now, but I never really paid them any attention until this past year when their size ranges expanded... one-size-fits-all clothes rarely work for me.
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| Grainline Hemlock Tee |
The Mandy Boat Tee was expanded from one size to four sizes, up to a 45" bust. Still not the biggest size range, but better than the previous size range. Grainline rereleased the formerly one-sized Hemlock in sizes 0-30, based on two different cups sizes, which is pretty fabulous.
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| Mandy Boat Tee |
I cut the largest Mandy Boat Tee size, the delightfully labeled "XXL-XXXL" (insert eyeroll). For my Hemlock Tee, I cut a size 18, from the larger size range, the one designed for a D-cup. I opted for 3/4 length sleeves for both, and the medium length for the Hemlock. Mandy only has one length.
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| Grainline Hemlock Tee |
Both tees are cut from stash fabric left over from previous projects... a sheerish tan sweater knit for my Mandy, originally a Plaintain Tee in the early days of my blog, and a slubby, lightweight white jersey, which I previously used for a Nina Cardigan and v-neck for my sister.
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| Left: Mandy Boat Tee; Right: Grainline Hemlock Tee |
The only change I made to the t-shirts was to use the Hemlock neckband on the Mandy. Mandy has a fold-and-topstitch neckline, which I hate. They never look nice for me -- I can't get them to turn nicely around the curves -- and I find they stretch out. I used the neckband like a facing, sewing it to the outside, understitching, and then folding it entirely to the inside topstitching (not dissimilar from the neckline finish on the Seamwork Tacara, which is basically a dress version of the Mandy!). The Mandy neckline is more boat-shaped, while the Hemlock has more of a scoop.
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| Mandy Boat Tee |
Fit-wise, they're both boxy, that's for sure. The sleeves on the Mandy are much slimmer than the those on the Hemlock... borderline too slim! I think the narrower sleeve balances out the boxy bodice well, but next time I would use a fabric with a bit more stretch for my Mandy.I wonder if my fabric isn't stretchy enough, though.
In contrast, the Hemlock sleeves are too wide for my taste and a little bit long, I'd say. Nothing that can't be fixed, but a bit slouchier than the Mandy.
In contrast, the Hemlock sleeves are too wide for my taste and a little bit long, I'd say. Nothing that can't be fixed, but a bit slouchier than the Mandy.
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| Grainline Hemlock Tee |
To sum up: I like both t-shirts; I don't find that there's a clear winner, as they both have their pros and cons. The Grainline Hemlock obviously has a much better size range, and I like the neckband and instructions better, but it's a looser, less flattering fit, I think. I don't like the Mandy's neckline finish and the size range is still pretty lame, but I think I slightly favor the Mandy's fit.