Lucy needed a bunch of new t-shirts so I bought the Flashback Skinny Tee pattern by Rae from Made By Rae and grabbed a stack of various knits that I had in my stash.
Check out those cheeks :) Cute girl! I bought this interlock in the bargain bins at Rathdowne Remnants and used some blue ribbing for the collar and cuffs. I was given a huge stash of knits and ribbing from a relative a while ago who is no longer sewing but had boxes of fabric packed away - score!
This one was the first one I sewed up - it took me a while to get the neckline right, but that is no reflection on the pattern - the pattern is fabulous, so well written with clear photos - more to do with my lack of experience sewing with knits.
Next up was the pink striped tee -
OK, so I didn't match up the stripes down the side seams. I must admit, it didn't even cross my mind when I cut the fabric! This fabric was much thicker and will be great for winter, but I don't think it is cotton because it melted when I tried to press it for hemming. Oops. Maybe a polyester blend?
Love the green cuffs and collar on this one, it matches perfectly!
The final tee is my favourite.
How great is that whale interlock fabric! And here I must confess to committing a sewing crime... I only had a tiny amount of this fabric left. So I cut one piece with the knit direction horizontal. Naughty! I really wanted to use it, it's such a cute print and I didn't want to leave it languishing at the bottom of the fabric stash. Matched with some grey ribbing sleeves and neckline, I love it!
I wanted the t-shirts to last a couple of seasons so I made them a size up. Lucy is a size 0-1 at the moment and I made the 18-24 month size.
Knits and me - we are not great friends yet but the relationship has improved. I found hemming the trickiest part - I used a ball point needle, and to hem the t-shirts I used a zig zag stitch. Do you have any tips and tricks for sewing with knits?
Did you see my interview over at the fabulous blog Art By Wiley yesterday? Here it is!
I will be linking with lots of other creative people here today.
What a cutie! I think I'm gonna buy that pattern and try it out.
ReplyDeleteShe's so cute! Great job on the tees.
ReplyDeleteThey all look fabulous, Ros!!! That whale fabric is darling and looks great with the grey. It's so easy to mix and match with stretch, so you can use small pieces. I used to sew all my kids' t-shirts and sweaters using the overlocker. They were so quick to make! The only thing I was never happy with, was the hem. I used to use a zig zag, but it never lasted as long as the garment. On a sweater, I'd overcome this by sewing a band instead of a hem. I've read that a double needle is the way to go, but haven't tested it yet. I've bought one to try.
ReplyDeleteYour brave!
ReplyDeleteThe shirts are almost as cute as your munchkin!
yay you! and of course, she's adorable as always :)
ReplyDeleteAwwww... I just want to kiss those cheeks and give her another cuddle!
ReplyDeleteI may just have to get that pattern.. they look great! That whale fabric is all kinds of awesome :)
very cute, I'm yet to tackle knits yikes!
ReplyDeleteThey're all gorgeous but my fave is the whales - I think because it's so different and adorable! Great pics too, beautiful girl :)
ReplyDeletegorgeous, both your tees and your little one! You did an awesome job! Jenny
ReplyDeleteRos have you got a stretch stitch on your sewing machine? It looks like a lightning bolt. That's the best for non-overlocked seams and hems. My fav way of doing hems at the moment is by "flat locking" them on the overlocker though (just a recent discovery after reading the overlocker manual - who'd have thought?!!) Gives you an awesome finish with the stitching featuring on the outside so great for using contrasting cotton and making a feature out of it. Lucy is growing up so fast, we'll have to come and visit you soon while I can still get a "baby" cuddle! Lyndelle x
ReplyDeleteI love the pink stripy one! I need to get cracking on some for the children too, they never seem to have enough tops!
ReplyDeleteSo cute! I love the whales. No such thing as a sewing crime if it works. Delle is right, that stretch stitch is great! Also, a double needle is pretty cool. It gives a lovely finish, but I find that if I backstitch with it stuff goes wrong, so I only sew forwards and go back over the start of my stitching at the end (I hope that makes sense)
ReplyDeleteOh I love stripey one too. I have never seem such nice knit fabric. Spotlight must improve their range. You could always add a band to the bottom of the top to avoid having to hem it. Here is a link for you to check out. http://www.shwinandshwin.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/no-hem-leggings.html
ReplyDeleteThey suggest it for use in pants but you could always adapt it to a top.
Sherry ♥
What a cute little model. And good on you for having a go at something new. I would also like to sew with knits but have not been brave enough thus far. Now after reading the tips in the comments, I am off to see if I have a stretch stitch;)
ReplyDeleteI love them! I'm trying to get over my 'thing' about knits, and recently bought a twin needle. I found that I had no problems at all hemming with it, and would definitely recommend one.
ReplyDeletethey look great .... rules were made to be broken, many things people would call crime, I actually learnt from my seamstress nan's habits ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love the whales too! I'm scared of knits, but this helps a bit :D I'm a new follower and I’d love for you to share this on Tuesday’s Tidbits at Naptime Delights: http://naptimedelights.blogspot.ca/2012/06/tuesdays-tidbits-6.html
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Sarah
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