It’s week 3 of 3RXPG here at 3rd Rail HQ and after weeks of planning it feels like everything is finally starting to come together. Week 3 means pattern cutting and t-shirt assembly which is essentially a first look at the finished garment.

We designed a template (called a pattern) specifically for this t-shirt which is an amalgamation of what we’ve noticed to be the most popular t-shirt styles. Made out of paper, parts of a garment are traced from this pattern onto fabric before being cut and assembled. The aim was to achieve a fit that was a good balance of bespoke and classic bestseller. Aside from the fit we were able to enhance the unique quality of the garment by sourcing a narrowed ribbing and finer, soft feel jersey.

The pattern cutting and assembly of the t-shirt itself is fairly standard. The pattern is pinned to the fabric, due to its weight, several fabric panels can be cut simultaneously. 2 cms are added to the base of the garment for extra length, another slight adjustment. A coverstitch machine is then used to hem the panels before the front and back are joined at the shoulders with the overlocker. The next step is to attach the ribbing which is sealed with some herringbone tape, details such as size labels are also taken care of at this stage. After the sleeves have been overlocked onto the body of the t-shirt the final step is sew the sides together to complete the garment. We’re really happy with the end result and can’t wait to reveal it to you next week.

This week we also completed the fine art screen print that will be included in the t-shirt pack. Measuring 30cm x 24cm and printed on 310gsm Southbank Smooth it will be a frameable addition to the t-shirt pack. It’s now only 7 days until the contest hits our various social media channels and you have to be in it to win it. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to be in with a chance as there will be 15 opportunities to win.