The Tarifa Tee by French Navy

The time lapsed from first discovering this pattern to having a finished and sewn product was less than 24 hours. I truly don’t typically rush into things like that but this pattern really grabbed my attention. I had fabric in my stash to use so there was no reason to wait. My first iteration was a bust but the second go-around was met with complete success! I love this new top…so much so that I’m currently wearing it for the second day in a row, ha!

Now, if you’ve been around for about any amount of time you’ll know that I love my Union St. Tee pattern. Like, a lot. It’s the perfect tee, so many options, absolutely hackable and, save for adjusting for length, the fit for me is spot on. It’s awesome. But sometimes–now hear me out!–sometimes I’d like something a little different in my t-shirts. As someone who wears t-shirts on an almost daily basis, I don’t think that’s asking too much. Just some variety, you know.

I know it looks like I’m smelling my armpit here but really I’m just trying to show you guys the cool style lines of the Tarifa. The pattern piece of the sleeve attaches to two panels which are all then sewn onto the bodice, creating these kind of funky lines. It looks cool with the stripes and provides an awesome color blocking opportunity (not to mention some scrap busting potential). The fit of the shirt is great too-loose and boxy. It’s really a unique take on a t-shirt and I’m glad I gave it a try

So, like I said, my first attempt wasn’t very successful, and you can see it here. I think this year I’ve been learning (through trial and error) a lot about knit fabric and, specifically, how I feel about it. I’ve realized I’m a little bit picky about my tee fabric. Obviously, it also depends on what project I’m using it for, but I’ve run into a problem where a fabric is too (fill in the blank) and I end up never wearing what I make because of that. In this case, there were also some fit issues that contributed to me not liking the finished top. First, I made a size D which was according to my measurements but I felt I wanted a bit bigger, so I sized up for the next version. Also, on the above top, I removed an inch of length which I regret. And finally, just that fabric. It’s a softer and lighter knit that I bought from Blackbird Fabrics a couple years ago. I don’t know what it is about it but I just don’t love it here. You can see I also opted to add ribbing to the neckline and cuffs. Truthfully, I’m liking what I see in this picture but just liking the picture won’t be enough for me to actually wear it.

Blah, blah, blah, ANYWAY….knowing that I’m becoming more, ahem, particular about the knits I use, I knew not to write off the pattern but to give it another try. I took a closer look at the listing photos (there’s a good variety pictured) to try to get a better idea of what fabric would be the best. To me, it seems like the fabric used is similar to the fabric used on RTW tees. You know, the knits that are stretchy but not too stretchy, and structured but not too structured, and that contain a balanced combination of cotton and undyed magical unicorn fibers. You know? So nothing too terribly difficult to find, ha!

I was wary of trying to buy something for this online but I also don’t have access to a lot of places that I felt would have what I had in mind. Luckily, at the beginning of the summer, I was able to visit Harmony in Provo, Utah and they had this striped green that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but seemed close enough. I also bought the same but in mustard stripes and my plan was to do some color blocking. But in the end I decided to just keep it with one color and I’m glad I did. I really want to try some color blocking but maybe in some solid colors.

I wouldn’t say the fabric is totally perfect for the top but I think it is definitely safely within the umbrella of fabrics that will allow the top to shine as its intended. As I was going to bed last night, I thought of a bamboo/cotton knit I made into a Union years ago and that seems like it’d be the right kind of fabric to use for this pattern. I’ll have to give it a try if I can get my hands back onto some bamboo knit.

The construction was different than your standard tee, thanks to the unique detailing. So I had to follow directions to make the top which I haven’t had to do for quite awhile with a t-shirt! It’s a little more time consuming just because you’re dealing with more seams but I wouldn’t at all say that it’s more difficult–just different. Something to note is that the seam allowance is 1/4 inch and the notches are very important! So notch carefully to keep things in line and to make sure you’re not making big notches that will cut past your seam allowance. I used hem tape for the hem, which I don’t always use but I do think it’s very helpful.

For my future Tarifas, I might make a slight forward shoulder adjustment, as I’ve noticed that seam rides a little further back than I’d prefer. I also might adjust the neckline slightly, bringing the neck curve down just by 1/4 inch or so. But these are very nit-picky things and I’d just as likely make the pattern up again changing nothing.

I seriously love this new pattern and I’m excited to try it out with some different fabrics, though I’m going to try to be picky about what I end up using. I know most non-sewing people won’t really appreciate how interesting the construction is but I find it refreshing and fun while still making sense and being approachable. Anyway, it’s a great pattern and if you’ve been looking for something a little different in your t-shirt department, I highly recommend the Tarifa!

Pattern: The Tarifa Tee by French Navy
Size: E
Adjustments: None
Fabric: stretch knit (sorry I don’t have details!! I’m part of the problem!) from Harmony
Cost: 1 yd fabric $18; pattern $10 (on sale); thread from stash
Would I make this again?: Absolutely!