| |

Scout Tee by Grainline Studio – Pattern Review

pinterest graphic for Scout Tee by Grainline Studio pattern review

Grainline Studio Scout Tee Pattern Review: Fabric, French Seams, & Hacks

My mom loved my Shirt No 1 that I sewed earlier this spring. She requested one for herself for her birthday. When we were fitting the muslin for the Shirt No 1 on her I could tell she didn’t really like the sleeves and how they fell on her arms and puckered in the armpits. I did some research and fell in love the with Scout Tee from Grainline Studio.

The Scout Tee is a simple shirt made with woven fabrics. It features a separate slightly gathered sleeve. What I love most about this pattern is that it can be easily hacked. (Ideas to follow!) It is a perfect pattern to keep in your stash.

Fabric

fabric used to sew shirt sitting atop pattern piece

I was thrilled to go to Sew to Speak with her to pick out fabric. She picked out the Brussels Washer Yarn Dyed fabric in Heliotrope. Brussels Washer is one of my favorite fabrics to work with. I have a Zadie in the exact same fabric!

We only needed 1.5 yards to make her shirt. I have enough left over to make a Purl Soho Summer Romper for my daughter. Sewing can be expensive, but this shirt paired with this fabric is a great project if your budget is tight.

When choosing a fabric I do suggest a drapey lightweight fabric. Linen, rayon, silk, lawn, and other similar fabrics would work well for this pattern. Quilting cotton can be so enticing with its price and fun patterns, but the stiff drape will not be flattering with this shirt.

French Seams

shirt inside out to show how french seams were used

I sewed the entire shirt with French seams. They are a gorgeous way to finish seams in garments. Check out my blog post for more details about when to use French seams and how to sew them.

The french seams did get a little tricky for attaching the sleeves. Just make sure that whenever you are joining french seams to not stack the seams. One folds to the left and the other to the right when lining up a seam.

Fitting

woman modeling Scout Tee by Grainline Studio sewn in a purple fabric

I made my mom a size 12 muslin out of an old sheet. It fit really well and there were no alterations to be made, which was very surprising to the both of us. I’ve never sewn a muslin that needed no alterations before.

When I finished the garment and she tried it on we both agreed that she should maybe go down a size for future shirts and the neckline was a little low. (She requested more of them and a dress version.)

Hacks For Scout Tee

Instagram is my favorite place to find inspiration for pattern hacks. If you search the pattern hack hashtag for nearly any pattern you can find so many creative spins on a pattern. Below are just some of my favorites.

  • Add a gathered skirt to make it into a dress
  • Add length to make it into a shift dress (I did this and loved it! Read about the hack here.)
  • Lengthen the sleeves
  • Cuff the Sleeves
  • Add petal or gathered sleeves
  • Adjust the hemline to make it a high/low shirt or a crop top
  • Make some bottoms out of the same fabric for a faux romper or jumpsuit (City Gym Shorts?)
  • Raise the neckline and add a keyhole back

Overall Thoughts

close up photo of sleeves

This was a great pattern. It was straightforward and a pretty quick sew. Great for beginners and so hackable! My sister and I just cut out this pattern for her to make a pajama top and I’m thinking about turning it into a shift dress with a waist tie with some gorgeous double gauze fabric that I have. So many possibilities! A 10/10 in my book.

EDIT: I did turn it into a shift dress with some double gauze and it is one of my favorite summer dresses! Check it out the blog post detailing the hack here!

Similar Posts