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The Panel Tee is a lovely simple shape made up of several panels. I originally thought how perfect the design would be for colour blocking, but it’s ALSO perfect for mixing your textures which, in the end, is how I decided to show it. (I should have perhaps chosen a different colour though. I didn’t realise how difficult it was to photograph white!)

White is a big colour for this summer – the high street is full of it. And there are LOADS of tonal texture and weave mixtures around at the moment. This simple vest from Karen Millen has silk side panels and I love this elegant nude one below with a transparent yoke.

The Panel Tee & Panel Dress come together as one pattern. Have a look at my post about the dress here or buy the pattern here.

My version is made of three different materials  – the front panel is 100% cotton in a batik pattern, and I have combined it with silk side panels and lightweight gauzy cotton sleeves. It’s difficult to see here but the sleeves are transparent.

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I found that if you make this top from 100% cotton it keeps quite a boxy shape OR you can go with a soft jersey or silky viscose and get a more slimline look.


Below is another version of the Panel Tee that I made recently with completely different fabrics. I’ve used a pretty patterned viscose for the front combined with a gorgeous denim chambray that has a lovely silky lustre to it. Using two different fabrics like this highlights the flattering curve of the centre panel and the hourglass shape it creates. Lets face it, anything that gives the illusion of a waist has got to be good hasn’t it!

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If you like this pattern for the Panel Tee, have a look at some of my other patterns like the Gathered Panel Tee which is similar but with an asymmetric ruched detail at the front. And the Panel Dress which is really just a longer version of this top that works really well as a shift dress.

The Panel Tee is no longer available as a free PDF download – you can now buy it as a multisize paper or downloadable pattern. Sorry for any disappointment, but there are lots of other free patterns on the patterns tab so please have a browse.