Pattern Review: Jalie 2802

Ok, so I made these up a while ago, but I never got around to doing an official pattern review.  Since I don't wear them, I can't comment on how comfortable they are to wear, but they are SUPER easy to sew together.  I think I can sew a man's skating shirt in about 45 minutes at this point (about an hour including cutting).  Of course, I have been making the short sleeved variety, but still, this is a quick sew.  As far as I know, Jalie has cornered the market on men's skating patterns, so thank goodness for Jalie 2802!

Jalie 2802!

I really like this patterns because it has options for long and short sleeves, as well as for a button-down type shirt.  So far I have used the long-sleeved version:

Long-sleeved version

And the short sleeved version:

Short sleeves (skater requested to not have the bottom part attached)

Here is my official review:

Pattern Description:  Men's skating top in three styles - long sleeved, short sleeved, and mock button down.  There are also options for turtle necks and fuller sleeves.

Pattern Sizing:  Jalie sizes for young boys (approx. age 2) through XL men sizes.  I have been sewing for grown men, so I was using the adult sizing.  I thought the sizing was fairly generous, and used slightly more than a 1/4" seam allowance actually.  My one complaint is that the pattern is a bit too long - I was cutting the hips higher on everyone I sewed for.  Otherwise I thought the sizing was pretty accurate.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  I hate to be one of those people...  But I didn't really use them. I did glance through them before I started sewing, and they seemed fine, but I have made so many skating costumes at this point I just really didn't see the need to meticulously follow the directions with the pattern.  The instructions seem pretty good, but if you have ever made a t-shirt you should be fine.  The only thing different is adding elastic to the legs at the end.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it?  Yes, it pretty much did.  I had one fussy adult who didn't like things around his legs, so I left off the bottom part on most of his shirts, but for the other people I was sewing for, it looked very much like the drawings.

What did you particularly like/dislike about this pattern?  I am so happy that there is a man's skating pattern available!  It is hard to find sewing/dance patterns for men.  I thought the drafting was good, I like the style options, and I found the sizing to be mostly accurate.  It is very easy to sew together.  My only complaint is that the shirt is a bit long in the hips.

Fabric used:  Mostly stretch velvet, though I did make some in nylon/lycra dance wear type fabric, and a few in ITY-ish type knits (I had to line those because the fabric was too thin).

Pattern alterations or design changes you made:  None, really, except for fit.  I did have to cut the hips higher, and I sewed the body-suit as one piece, rather than having a seam for the top and the bottom (and, yes, I took out the seam allowance here and it was still long over the hips).  I also had one person who did not want the under-part, so I simply made it like a t-shirt with elastic around the waist to keep it in place.  Otherwise I made no design changes.

Would you sew it again?  Would you recommend it to others?  I have made 8 of these tops so far (for various people), and I expect I may have to make more in the future.  If I ever need to sew skating shirts for men, this will be my go-to pattern, so I expect to use it a lot in the future.  Highly recommended to anyone who needs to sew for a male skater.

Conclusion:  Love this pattern!  It has been incredibly useful and it is an excellent pattern.  I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a dance or skate pattern for men's shirts.  Once you get a TNT made for a skater it is very quick and easy to make more of them, and the multi-sizing makes it very economical if you find yourself sewing for multiple people (or a growing skater).  Overall, this pattern is excellent!