National Bowling Day (yes, there is one) is not until August 13 this year, but I decided I couldn’t wait for it and made my bowling shirt months ahead of time. It is the second installment of Riffs on a Trusted Pattern, my sewing challenge series. I am starting each month with my TNT (tried-and-true) Tabula Rasa Jacket from Fit for Art Patterns and seeing how many ways I can make it. This time, it turned into a bowling-shirt-esque garment.

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PATTERN SPECIAL: Fit for Art Patterns is offering the Tabula Rasa Jacket at a 15 percent discount when you use the coupon code TRJBecky at checkout, as Becky continues her Riffs on a Trusted Pattern adventure throughout 2022. Plus, during April 2022 only, the patternmaker is offering 15 percent off another pattern: Shirt Variations for the Tabula Rasa Jacket. Be sure to use coupon code TRJBecky for the April discount, as well. Stay tuned for other discounts from Fit for Art Patterns throughout this series.

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Bowling shirt fabric

Several years ago, I squirreled away some fabric—a rayon Jams World end cut. The fashion brand makes colorful Hawaiian-type shirts. I can’t remember if I had anything in mind at the time, but when I pulled it out, I knew exactly what I wanted to make: a bowling shirt. To be clear, I do not bowl, but the fabric just screamed panels and contrasting bands.

One of the many things I like about the Tabula Rasa Jacket (TRJ) pattern is the side/shoulder seams. They are the perfect foil for fun accent lines in a design. Those are just what this shirt needed.

 

From jacket to bowling shirt

Once I had the fabric in mind, I began working on the changes needed to make to the pattern to get the shirt I was…