As part of our #MayWeRemindYou month we ran a poll to find out about your TNTs (Tried and True patterns). We wanted to see how the picture of TNTs in our sewing community had changed since our original TNT theme month back in November 2017.
One of the stand outs of the poll results is that 60% of you have some TNTs, but would like more. I am not the only one! With that in mind, this post is dedicated to how the results might help us find more TNTs.
What did the results tell us overall?
We asked about some features of your TNTs — such as the type of garment and the pattern companies you use.
We found that most people aren’t sewing most of their TNTs from one company, or even from a select few. That encourages us to experiment with other pattern companies rather than “staying in our lane”! Happily, we have the amazing list of companies who are minority or ally-owned compiled by Jacinta that we can explore for this very purpose!
We also found that tops and t-shirts dominate for TNT status — together accounting for 40% of the TNT patterns overall. This might suggest a couple of things about TNTs, such as that they are often quicker to sew and “churn out,” and possibly that more basic yet versatile patterns might be good candidates?
What I mean by basic yet versatile is a pattern which is more “everyday,” but has quite a few variations. So a great t-shirt or top pattern which has three different necklines, various lengths and different sleeve options would be a great TNT. With this type of pattern you can essentially make twenty-plus different garments if you make every variation.
These patterns might also be popular because they are easier to adjust for all different types of figures, though that’s very much speculation given we don’t know much about which patterns make up these answers (more on that later).
A quick note on trousers/pants: I am very interested that they appear to be much more popular as TNTs than in our theme month back in November 2017. I think there are two possible reasons for that (and it’s probably a combination of both):
- There are more accessible (good size ranges, easy to fit, beginner-friendly) patterns for trousers and shorts out there now than there were back in 2017. They come with sew-alongs and videos and fitting resources, many of which just weren’t in place back then.
- Our theme month stats weren’t based on a survey, but on what people made and posted during the month. All of those people might have already had a pants TNT pattern but because they take longer to make (and more fabric), they made quicker patterns to fit into the window of the theme month, so pants might not have shown up in the stats from back then.
What companies or patterns seem most popular, then and now?
You can see the stats from the original theme month here, but it’s important to remember that this was based on makes during the month, not stated favourite TNT patterns. What follows is my reflections on the changes I can see from then to now; noting these two data sets aren’t properly comparable.
- Pattern companies that seem to have endured include Cashmerette, Grainline, Jalie, Sew House Seven, True Bias and Style Arc.
- There is more diversity in how we answer the question of a favourite TNT now, than in what we sewed in November of 2017 — so even across the pattern companies above, there is more of a range of patterns listed. (Of course, this is in part because those companies have released new patterns since 2017!)
- Some patterns that have remained popular are the Sew House Seven Toaster Sweater, the Jalie Eleonore Jeans and the Cashmerette Concord
- NKOTB in pattern terms (click the link if you don’t know…) include the SewDIY Lou Box Top and the particularly popular Helen’s Closet Blackwood Cardigan
Observations on TNT characteristics
If you are looking for a TNT, hopefully a run down of what others have found successful has already given you some ideas. My tips in summary are below:
- It’s worth trying something new.
- Finding a simple, everyday pattern like a t-shirt will shorten the path to a TNT. Almost all of us have to make some pattern adjustments, so we might as well start simple and then build out!
- Trying patterns that come with a few variations will maximise the reward if you spend time on the fit and find your TNT.
- Consider the inclusivity and values of the pattern company you try out — in the modern world, it sometimes feels like we vote more with our money than we do with our vote. Make it count. And then actually vote with your vote as well…
- Check out what the people whose style you like or whose bodies are similar to yours are making — chances are that if they are making a pattern work for their body, you can too.
- Don’t take this as seriously as I do! A few of you answered the survey to say you didn’t have any TNTs and you just. don’t. care. Good for you! If you like trying different patterns every time, go for it! and see item 4 🙂
I hope this was helpful. As you might have gathered I am fascinated by TNTs and by what drives some of us to make one pattern over and over, when others never grace the same pattern twice. I am also on a quest of great fit in the clothes I make, which I think leads inevitably to some TNT patterns where you have already done the hard work and don’t have to start from scratch.
My personal TNT patterns are the Paprika Patterns Ruby Joggers, the Grainline Linden and the Pattern Union Mollie Tee, but I am after more! What are your TNT patterns? What would you recommend for others?
Chloe is a Sewcialists Editor who lives and sews in Australia, on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. She blogs at chlo-thing.com and can be found on Instagram here.
I have found Love Notions recently and fallen in love! A full bust adjustment is included in most of the tops so that’s a time saver for me. Vivace and the Game Day tee are becoming TNTs.
That’s sounds great – I don’t think I have made any of their patterns but an FBA built-in is a winner!
I tend to agree with hardly care 😉. I have a couple of pant TNTs mostly because I don’t find pants very interesting. And I put my fitting efforts into my personal block, so it’s easy to check new patterns against it. Let me suggest that as a more efficient long-term strategy
Our resident fit expert Gabby definitely agrees with you! I am slowly developing a block for me, but then get distracted 🙂
I think I connected with TNTs because I started sewing garments for myself in the summer between my undergrad and grad programs when I foolishly did not line up a job, so money was tight for both patterns and fabric, so finding one or two patterns and then hacking them was much more to my wallet’s liking. Now a few years later I have about 8 TNTs that I’ve hacked into a wardrobe. 2 styles of trousers(Megan Nielsen Flints and Closet Case Gingers), 2 dress patterns (SOI Vintage Shirt Dress, Deer and Doe Belladone), 1 skirt pattern (Deer and Doe Fumeterre), and 3 shirt styles (Closet Case Nettie, Paprika Pattern Onyx, True Bias Ogden). But I’ve hacked a dress into simply a skirt, the shirts into dresses and other types of shirts, and I’ve done some mash ups between them and many hacks to just change up the look. I also like how I can mix and match because I know how this shirt wears with this pair of trousers.
That’s a great point – finding at least a few TNT’s can let you sew as cheaply as possible: buying the absolute minimum fabric needed and with less chance of a costly failure!
In addition to versatility for different combination of features, there is also a versatility of fabric types and weights. A pattern may be versatile enough within itself, but bonus if it will stand up to many fabrics, and ditto for all potential uses. I had a pant TNT I no longer use (after more than a dozen pair, tired of it!) that worked in wovens and knits, fabric weights of every season, and every conceivable event – office work, vacations, lounging around, pajamas, you name it. Love those cross overs, for example, pajama patterns that work for other purposes. If the pattern will handle color blocking, that’s a plus as well. A pattern that works for the dead of winter AND the height of summer? Bring it.
For me, the challenge is a changing body (Covid weight gain is the latest issue). I grew up loving fitted clothing, but those styles are no longer practical or comfortable, and they are much more difficult and time consuming to make, much less make well. My focus now is on finding patterns I can rely on to feel good in no matter what. Nothing too blocky (or that otherwise says, I give up) and still stylish. So TNTs change over time too.