Seamwork Hansie Tee
Summer is for sewing from the stash!
It’s summertime, and I’ve been looking forward to easy projects to sew in a weekend. Also, my stash of leftover fabric pieces has been overflowing. This summer I’ve challenged myself to sew simple projects from my scrap fabric stash- starting with one of my favorite woven top patterns.
About the Pattern
The Seamwork Hansie is a t-shirt pattern that is meant for woven fabrics, though I think you could make it out of a knit fabric for a looser fitting top. The pattern page says it takes 1 yard of fabric, but I’ve been able to squeeze the tee out of considerably less fabric, including some odd sized leftover cuts.
<1 yd scrap of fabric with the Hansie pattern pieces laid out
Green Rayon Hansie
The first Hansie tee that I made this summer was from a scrap of rayon fabric with a green marbled print from Blackbird Fabrics. I remember buying this fabric because it reminded me of the dancer’s outfits in a ballet performance that I saw at the New York City Ballet last season.
I was so excited to make a flowing jumpsuit, but it was only after wearing my finished jumpsuit that I realized I had underestimated the prominence of the marble print. I thought the jumpsuit would be a neutral addition to my wardrobe but the print made it feel more like a statement piece. I’ll try to pair the jumpsuit with a long gray coat this fall, otherwise I feel like I’m wearing a lot of green.
From my leftover stash I had just enough leftover fabric to squeeze out a Hansie tee. Since completing this top I’ve worn it almost every week. I usually pair this with high waisted navy pants and find the combination just the right amount of green for me.
Navy Cupro Hansie
I made another Hansie tee from a small scrap of navy cupro, which was leftover from sewing a shirtdress. I think this top will be a great backdrop for showing off my fun pin collection.
I also made the shorts that I am wearing, using the Seamwork Weston pattern. Originally, I tried to hack the shorts pattern to create a scalloped hem, but my experiment didn’t work out. I finally lopped off the scallops and have a new pair of shorts to wear. I used a double knit fabric.
Sheer Poly Hansie
This fabric was leftover from my 2020 Design your Wardrobe project. Thinking about what I could make with this polyester organza, I decided on my tried and true Hansie tee and added a ruffled sleeve component for fun. In the spirit of not losing too much sewing momentum, I dug out the first ruffle pattern piece I could think of from my pattern stash and committed to making it work on the Hansie sleeve without testing it out beforehand. The ruffles came out fluffier than I imagined and now I refer to this as my Fruffle shirt.
Summer Sewing Takeaways
Reflecting on sewing these three shirts, I think I should sew more separates which I will wear more often than dresses or flowing jumpsuits. It was very satisfying to cut out and sew an entire t-shirt in 1 day, and also satisfying to watch my scrap stash get smaller. Finally, I had a lot of fun making the sheer Hansie top and I’ve decided that I should sew more unexpected fabric and pattern combinations.