Game Day Jersey for Him

Ryan leaning against a stucco wall with his arms crossed over his red, black and white Game Day Jersey

The Love Notions Game Day Jersey was one of May’s Sew My Style two featured patterns. T-shirts are a wardrobe staple so I was excited to make a couple of these for both me and Ryan.

And clearly the pictures were taken back in May, too. Hence the lumberjack beard also present.

All of the Game Day Jerseys (men’s, ladies‘, and kids) were available for the #SMS20 discount (which means that, as the coordinator for SMS20, I received this pattern for free). And because they have separate yokes, they’re great for experimenting with color-blocking!

If you saw this my very first episode of #SewistsHappyHourLive (now Maker Happy Hour Live!), you heard me say I was a color-blocking virgin. And now I’m not!!

I always thought color blocking meant matching the weights of fabric. That’s true to an extent but it’s not an absolute rule. I used a mixture of knit fabrics in differing weights, but they were all similar enough. If anything, the yokes on this were slightly thinner than the body fabric.

I made both the Ladies’ and Men’s Game Day Jerseys, but this review will focus solely on the one I made for Ryan.

Game Day Jersey

The name of the Game Day Jersey comes from the description:

Get ready to cheer your team on in a customized jersey made just to your team colors!

I didn’t set out to make this in our teams’ colors, but my husband’s did end up in his alma mater’s colors! So when UWMadison is back in the Final Four next year, he’ll have a new t-shirt to wear to the bar to cheer them on.

Ryan wanted a crew neck since I’d already made him a v-neck. I didn’t bother with the stripes. Less sewing is more productive sewing! Also I completely forgot after setting aside bias tape for it…

I also really like this split. It’s a nice upgrade from a typical t-shirt.

Zoomed in view of a split hem on a red handmade Game Day Jersey t-shirt

Instead of using a twin needle, I opted for a vintage zigzag around the hem.

Size Chart

The men’s Game Day Jersey is sized from XS to 4XL which encompasses a 34″ to 54″ chest.

Ryan has a 42″ chest which would have put him in a large. But the finished garment measurements at that size were 45.5″ which I know is a lot looser than he prefers. I sized down to a medium with no alterations and it’s still very loose.

Fabric

The recommended fabrics are typical t-shirt knits, though stretch percentage isn’t given:

Light to medium weight knit fabric such as jersey, rayon/spandex, modal jersey, double brushed poly, cotton jersey, cotton spandex, athletic knits. More stable knits such as cotton/Lycra can be used by sizing down may be needed.

I upcycled some cotton jersey t-shirts we’d received when we joined our gym and used them in Ryan’s front and back yokes.

The red fabric is a cotton interlock that is a little heavier weight than the white jersey. This is another good reason to stabilize those shoulders, so the heavier fabric doesn’t pull them out of proportion.

Like with his Sunday V-neck, I used black ribbing for the neckband.

PDF Criteria

Here is how the PDF stacks up

Layered sizes: yes
Colored lines by size: yes
No trim pattern: yes
Prints to edge of paper: yes
Print layout included: yes, page 3 of the instructions
A0 available: yes
Number of pattern pieces: depends on neckline. Both styles have a front and back, plus back yoke and sleeve, so 4 pieces. The v-neck style has 2 front yokes but the crew neck only has 1.

Pattern Instructions & Tips

I honestly didn’t use the instructions. I read through them to ensure I wasn’t missing anything, but if you know how to make a t-shirt then you don’t really need them.

Of course, with a yoke, you will have the extra step of attaching the yoke. Other than that, it’s pretty straightforward.

I did notice that there was no recommendation to stabilize the shoulders but I always do this. I consider it as necessary as using a stretch stitch with knits.

Pattern Notions

If you do add the stripes to the sleeves, bias tape is recommended.

Pattern Adjustments

Ryan’s Game Day Jersey didn’t require any adjustments other than going down one size. Lucky duck.

Though maybe he could use a shoulder adjustment. That seam is a little far back.

Three-quarter view Ryan smiling at the camera while wearing a red, white, and black Game Day Jersey

Looking through these pictures, this size might be a little big on him.

His RTW t-shirts are about 1.5″ (3.8 cm) shorter and almost the same amount narrower. This can probably be solved by going down a size or raising the hem a bit.

Pattern Difficulty Rating

If this is your first t-shirt, it’s a great way to dive into a v-neck. Because the V crosses over in the front, it’s a lot easier than a traditional one.

The crew neck version for men is even easier.

This is a very fast project, regardless of how it’s sewn (on a regular machine or a serger/overlocker).

But because the instructions themselves are not 100% beginner-friendly (no mention of stabilizing the shoulders), I would rate this a 1.5/5.

1.5/5 = confident beginner

Game Day Jersey Final Thoughts

I like this shirt. Especially the color combo.

But what matters most when I make something for someone else isn’t how I feel about it. How does my husband like it? Well, he’s worn this shirt pretty regularly for the last 2 months now.