True Bias Jesse Tee with Screenprinting

I feel like it's been quite a while since I made myself something simple, and the new Jesse Tee from True Bias is a great palette cleanser. You can get this pattern for free if you sign up for the True Bias newsletter. There are two versions, cropped and regular length, and sizing is from 0-32.

I was drawn to the cropped version, since I already have my ride or die TNT t-shirt in the Union St. Tee. I have gently eased into the high-rise/cropped shirt trend, but only with cropped tank tops. This is my first crop top with a sleeve, and I like how it came out!

Fabric choice is important if you want to achieve the boxy shape shown in the sample photos. You don't want too much drape, or you'll lose the silhouette. True Bias has a blog post about fabric here, they recommend the slub jersey from iSee Fabric. I decided to shop my stash and found a navy...cotton interlock? I'm not exactly sure. The amount of random navy knits in my "large scraps" section is overwhelming, but that's my best guess. I'm super happy that I was able to use something leftover from another project.

The fabric worked out great! I opted to put the neckband in flat, just in case the stretch didn't work, but it was perfect. I made a size 4 for my 33" bust and I love the fit.

And because I saw something similar on Pinterest earlier that morning, I decided to make a "crop top" design to screenprint onto the front of the tee. I've never used white screenprinting ink before. It's a bit thicker than I'm used to, so I did a practice run on some black jersey. This crop top design is available in my Etsy shop as an SVG cut file, a PNG, or a DXF. I used the SVG to cut permanent vinyl and made a screen that way. You could also cut it from heat transfer vinyl and apply directly to a shirt, my favorite is Siser Easy Weed.

I love this top with my RTW-refashioned mom jeans! Have you tried the Jesse Tee?

Why You Need to Learn how to Screenprint

Hello friends! A little sewing-adjacent content for you today. I am a die-hard t-shirt and jeans gal (okay, t-shirt and sweatpants) but when you sew your own shirts, it leaves you at the mercy of the prints and fabrics you can find to buy. I was getting tired of not having cool me-made graphic tees, but I found the answer! Screenprinting!

There are many ways to put graphics onto t-shirts (heat transfer vinyl and applique come to mind) but my favorite is definitely screenprinting (time permitting...HTV is definitely the fastest!). If you have been sewing t-shirts for yourself or your loved ones, learning how to screenprint is going to take them to the next level. Here are some great reasons why you should learn how to do this (and trust me, you CAN learn it!):

Screen stencil created with vinyl

Create Unique Items

If you sew clothes for yourself or your kids, part of the fun is that your items are one of a kind. You can take that a step further with screenprinting. Going on a family vacation? Create a screen with your family name and an image and go to town! Nobody else will have the shirts you have.

You can buy this design in my Etsy shop

Add Tags Easily

This is a fun one too! With a mini embroidery hoop and a vinyl decal of a handmade label, you can quickly add a "tag" to the inside of your shirts. If you happen to sell any of your items, you can also brand them in the same way. The best part, no scratchy tags!

Personalization

If you sew for kiddos, it would be worth it to make a screen that allows you to put their names on things. Backpacks, Easter baskets, shirts, pillowcases, there are a ton of things that are fun to personalize with screenprinting.

Matchy Matchy

Re-using the same screen, you could make matching "sister" or "brother" shirts. Large family photos are fun with "cousin" or "grandkid" shirts. Girls trip to wine country? How about matching tote bags? 

Save a Ruined Item

We've all messed up sewing the neckband on a shirt, gotten spaghetti sauce on something white, you know the deal. Inject a little life back into a frustrating experience by adding some fun screenprinting. It won't fix a wonky seam but it can make you fall back in love with a garment.

I got started with screenprinting when I purchased this kit from Speedball:

It comes with the basic supplies and great directions. It's been a year or two since I bought it and the only additional supply I've needed is more of the screen fabric (which you can buy in a large quantity on Amazon, for much less than buying individually cut screens).

Some of my favorite follows for learning more about screenprinting are Bobbinhood and Pigskins and Pigtails. Check them out for more!