Mundanewear: longsleeve with centre-front gathers
I need to sew myself some mundanewear and I will be blogging about this under the title of "The Empress' New Clothes (title only used on my own blog). It's not that I have delusions of grandeur or that I will be posting nude pictures of myself, it's just one of those titles that attached itself as a caboose to my train of thought. I can't help it.
Much.
Once you get inspired to sew something, often other stuff has to wait to get finished. For some people it's a curse, but I enjoy being inspired by something because it makes me eager to sew something pretty and finish the project quickly.
I wasn't very fast in this project. Knit fabric longsleeves are usually not much work and I could have sewn all this in one afternoon. Because I was lazy, it took me two days.
As I was waiting for a friend to arrive at the train station I bought a Burda magazine since it had several interesting patterns in it. I can draft my own patterns, but sometimes (especially with knit fabrics, which I never learned to draft for) it pays off to just alter an existing pattern to my own sizes.
This pattern came with a tutorial and it was published in Burda Magazine 10-2012 (NL edition). All pictures can be clicked for larger sizes here on Scrapbook.
The pattern on the fabric curving around the neckline and going horizontally across at the hem caught my eye and if you look at the pattern pieces you can see how this comes to be. The front pattern piece opens like a fan to create extra room needed for the gathers at the centre-front seam. It's held in place by strips of the fabric on the non-stretchy edge.
Our visit to Schröder got me this coupon. Subtle enough to not cause a scene, but with a definite horizontal pattern and more than enough to facilitate a longsleeve in my size. The best part is the price tag of € 8,- which was discounted another 50% at the cash register. For just € 4,- of fabric and € 5,80 for the magazine, I'd have a new longsleeve.
My pattern pieces, all done!
I measured the largest size of the pattern and adjusted it somewhat to fit me. The waist was good, but the chest needed more room (2 cm per pattern piece) as well as the hips (same). I added a centimeter to the shoulder width too, because I've had experience with them crumpling up because they're not wide enough. I also added 5 centimeters to the length.
A nice, fluid line is easily drawn and you end up with a well-fitting pattern! Or so you hope, because you never know until you can actually put it on.
My teacher Helen does it in this order too, I swear!
The first thing I do is hem the sleeves. This is easy if the underarm seam is not yet sewn. I press the hem and baste it so the fabrics can't pull any tricks on me anymore. I hate it when a hem flops over because you pull on the fabric a bit. And knit fabrics are all bastards in that regard.
This is why I took so long to finish this shirt. I tend to procrastinate. I try not to, but basting gathers is more fun when you're watching pretty men shake down pretty Russian mobsters. Before you know it, one episode of Burn Notice is followed by another one, and then another one, and the gathers never get gathered...
The sleeve underarm seam measures about 59 centimeters and needs to be gathered down to the desired length. After gathering the excess length with some basting thread, a strip (cut on the non-stretch of the same fabric) is pinned over everything so the gathers will stay in place.
The downside to gathering the sleeves as well is that the underarm seam is sewn already, before the sleeve is set into the body of the shirt. I usually run the underarm seam at the same time I do the side seam of the shirt, but I didn't do it this time.
After serging the underarm seam, gathers and all, I tie off the loose threads at the wrist opening, making for a nice finish there as everything is already hemmed.
The center-front seam is done the same way. I use red basting thread to gather the center front panels to the desired length and sew a strip over the gathers so they don't run away from me.
According to the (included) tutorial, you should gather the panels separately with two parallel running stitches and then sew them together. I thought my way was better.
As I unfold the front panel, I am massively underwhelmed. This doesn't look anything like the pictures in the magazine!
Of course, garments often look like crap when they're not on a body, especially in the fluid knit fabric I am using here. I guess this is just a matter of 'Keep Calm and Carry On'.
Then it's time for the side seams...
And of course the sleeves still have to be set. Always a fun adventure, especially when you use a serger! This went fine though.
The official tutorial used interfacing to finish off the front neckline and some facing for the back neckline. I like to use bias tape for my necklines. It adds a bit of sturdiness to the neckline and if you make it 15% to 20% shorter than the actual neckline and stretch it to fit, your neckline will never gape open.
My neckline measures 80 centimeters, so I cut a strip of 64 centimeters and make bias tape out of it. Above picture only goes to show that this jersey is really not to be trusted when you want it to lie flat. It won't stay put until you melt it with that hot iron you're holding.... Fun times, fun fun fun times.
The edges of the bias tape are folded and then cut to match the actual neckline. This is done to get a nice V-shape meeting at the center front middle. Once folded open again, the bias tape looks sawtoothed, but that's to be expected. I sew down the sawtooth to make a loop out of the bias tape and to prevent any fiddling later on.
The bias tape is stitched to the left side (wrong side) first...
And then folded up and over and ends tucked under so the final topstitching is on the right side of the fabric and perfect. I use a mild zig-zag with a ballpoint needle for all work on the sewing machine when I can't use the serger.
I could have used a chainstitch on my serger, but I really didn't feel like re-threading everything again.
The final thing to do is hem the bottom of the shirt and fiddle with tying off the last threads and getting your basting thread out without tearing up your stitches.
Finished Self-Portrait! Sorry for the bad lighting, it's not that yellow in real life. Still, the gold-tan colour it is, is not really my thing. The center-front gathers look pretty cool and they're all the rage. Still, the excess fabric does wonders for my cup size, and I don't really need the help in that department. It does look better with a jacket over it.
This is my 'Word Up' pose...
The gathers at the sleeves look minute, compared to the center front seam. It looks more like accidental ruffles than something done on purpose. I don't mind much, the sleeves are long enough and that's saying something in my case.
*Ding*
Project Done!
//crossposted to janestarz
Much.
Once you get inspired to sew something, often other stuff has to wait to get finished. For some people it's a curse, but I enjoy being inspired by something because it makes me eager to sew something pretty and finish the project quickly.
I wasn't very fast in this project. Knit fabric longsleeves are usually not much work and I could have sewn all this in one afternoon. Because I was lazy, it took me two days.
As I was waiting for a friend to arrive at the train station I bought a Burda magazine since it had several interesting patterns in it. I can draft my own patterns, but sometimes (especially with knit fabrics, which I never learned to draft for) it pays off to just alter an existing pattern to my own sizes.
This pattern came with a tutorial and it was published in Burda Magazine 10-2012 (NL edition). All pictures can be clicked for larger sizes here on Scrapbook.
The pattern on the fabric curving around the neckline and going horizontally across at the hem caught my eye and if you look at the pattern pieces you can see how this comes to be. The front pattern piece opens like a fan to create extra room needed for the gathers at the centre-front seam. It's held in place by strips of the fabric on the non-stretchy edge.
Our visit to Schröder got me this coupon. Subtle enough to not cause a scene, but with a definite horizontal pattern and more than enough to facilitate a longsleeve in my size. The best part is the price tag of € 8,- which was discounted another 50% at the cash register. For just € 4,- of fabric and € 5,80 for the magazine, I'd have a new longsleeve.
My pattern pieces, all done!
I measured the largest size of the pattern and adjusted it somewhat to fit me. The waist was good, but the chest needed more room (2 cm per pattern piece) as well as the hips (same). I added a centimeter to the shoulder width too, because I've had experience with them crumpling up because they're not wide enough. I also added 5 centimeters to the length.
A nice, fluid line is easily drawn and you end up with a well-fitting pattern! Or so you hope, because you never know until you can actually put it on.
My teacher Helen does it in this order too, I swear!
The first thing I do is hem the sleeves. This is easy if the underarm seam is not yet sewn. I press the hem and baste it so the fabrics can't pull any tricks on me anymore. I hate it when a hem flops over because you pull on the fabric a bit. And knit fabrics are all bastards in that regard.
This is why I took so long to finish this shirt. I tend to procrastinate. I try not to, but basting gathers is more fun when you're watching pretty men shake down pretty Russian mobsters. Before you know it, one episode of Burn Notice is followed by another one, and then another one, and the gathers never get gathered...
The sleeve underarm seam measures about 59 centimeters and needs to be gathered down to the desired length. After gathering the excess length with some basting thread, a strip (cut on the non-stretch of the same fabric) is pinned over everything so the gathers will stay in place.
The downside to gathering the sleeves as well is that the underarm seam is sewn already, before the sleeve is set into the body of the shirt. I usually run the underarm seam at the same time I do the side seam of the shirt, but I didn't do it this time.
After serging the underarm seam, gathers and all, I tie off the loose threads at the wrist opening, making for a nice finish there as everything is already hemmed.
The center-front seam is done the same way. I use red basting thread to gather the center front panels to the desired length and sew a strip over the gathers so they don't run away from me.
According to the (included) tutorial, you should gather the panels separately with two parallel running stitches and then sew them together. I thought my way was better.
As I unfold the front panel, I am massively underwhelmed. This doesn't look anything like the pictures in the magazine!
Of course, garments often look like crap when they're not on a body, especially in the fluid knit fabric I am using here. I guess this is just a matter of 'Keep Calm and Carry On'.
Then it's time for the side seams...
And of course the sleeves still have to be set. Always a fun adventure, especially when you use a serger! This went fine though.
The official tutorial used interfacing to finish off the front neckline and some facing for the back neckline. I like to use bias tape for my necklines. It adds a bit of sturdiness to the neckline and if you make it 15% to 20% shorter than the actual neckline and stretch it to fit, your neckline will never gape open.
My neckline measures 80 centimeters, so I cut a strip of 64 centimeters and make bias tape out of it. Above picture only goes to show that this jersey is really not to be trusted when you want it to lie flat. It won't stay put until you melt it with that hot iron you're holding.... Fun times, fun fun fun times.
The edges of the bias tape are folded and then cut to match the actual neckline. This is done to get a nice V-shape meeting at the center front middle. Once folded open again, the bias tape looks sawtoothed, but that's to be expected. I sew down the sawtooth to make a loop out of the bias tape and to prevent any fiddling later on.
The bias tape is stitched to the left side (wrong side) first...
And then folded up and over and ends tucked under so the final topstitching is on the right side of the fabric and perfect. I use a mild zig-zag with a ballpoint needle for all work on the sewing machine when I can't use the serger.
I could have used a chainstitch on my serger, but I really didn't feel like re-threading everything again.
The final thing to do is hem the bottom of the shirt and fiddle with tying off the last threads and getting your basting thread out without tearing up your stitches.
Finished Self-Portrait! Sorry for the bad lighting, it's not that yellow in real life. Still, the gold-tan colour it is, is not really my thing. The center-front gathers look pretty cool and they're all the rage. Still, the excess fabric does wonders for my cup size, and I don't really need the help in that department. It does look better with a jacket over it.
This is my 'Word Up' pose...
The gathers at the sleeves look minute, compared to the center front seam. It looks more like accidental ruffles than something done on purpose. I don't mind much, the sleeves are long enough and that's saying something in my case.
*Ding*
Project Done!
//crossposted to janestarz