A Knit Sewing Binge

I recently got it into my head that I wanted to buy a bunch of knit fabrics to make comfy dresses and t-shirts out of.  Luckily for me I found the perfect seller on Etsy who had a boatload of vintage knits for sale, meaning I could buy a bunch and save tons on postage (it didn't hurt that the seller lives less than 100 miles from me).  And that's how I ended up with this:

First, I made this long sleeve dress because the fabric is quite thick like a sweater, and I figured I could get some wear out of it while it is still a little chilly out.  If only I had looked at the weather forecast and seen that temperatures were soon going to be in the mid-80s for a stretch of time, I might have made a different choice for my first project from this haul.  Luckily the temperatures should be going back to normal in the last half of May (mid-high 60s) so I should be able to wear this dress to work without sweating through it.

Next I made this brown dress that turned out a little drab.  I may get a colorful belt to wear with it to jazz it up a bit, because all of you who know me know that I'm all about jazzing up my outfits (ha!).  For this one, I used a half circle skirt to give the dress more volume.  I much prefer the way it looks and it's more comfortable, but it takes more effort and uses a lot more fabric so I won't be able to use this style with all the fabrics I got.

Most recently I finished this navy maxi dress.  I'm not 100% sold on wearing long dresses, but I thought I'd give it a try for those days when it's not quite as warm and/or I haven't shaved my legs super recently.  The fabric is thicker than some of the others and is a little scratchy, but it has a cool stripe texture woven in, which I like with the long length of the dress.  I made a built-in shelf bra to provide some extra coverage up top, for a softer feel against my skin, and because the back is slightly racerback style that is not accommodating to regular undergarments.  Ideally the dress would have been about an inch longer but I couldn't eke any more length out of the fabric.

Now that these three projects are done, my recently acquired knit stash is quickly dwindling.  I think I'm going to take a knits break for a while before jumping back in.

Ruffle Knit Shirt

I scored a bunch of knit remnants from Billie's Designer Fabrics in Chehalis, WA this summer after talking with some sewists from the area who tipped me off to this nice little fabric store. It can be a little tricky to find quality knit fabrics, but they had enough in their bargain bins to keep my knit stash well stocked for a while. We were also quite amused by their handwritten receipt.


This summer (or was it fall?), I made a stadium sweatshirt out of some sweatshirt fabric I got there.


Before HH and I rode the rails back home for the holidays, I whipped up a shirt using some pretty blue fabric and a t-shirt pattern I have used in the past with good results.


I got to use my large cutting mat that HH got for my Winter Solstice present for the first time, which makes cutting stuff out much easier.


I redrafted the neck opening using my french curve ruler and some chalk.


I made the ruffle by cutting out a long strip of bias fabric (cut on the diagonal) and using the ruffling feature of my serger. (I use the term "my serger" loosely, as it's really on extended/permanent? loan from a former colleague at CWU.) After the strip was ruffled, I pinned it to the front of the shirt and attached it with a zigzag stitch.


Then I cut another bias strip and topstitched it over the ruffle to conceal the serged edges, using my topstitching foot to help me sew as evenly as possible.



On the shoulders, I added some lightweight tape to stabilize the seams which helps them keep their shape over time.


Putting in sleeves in knit fabrics is relatively easy because the fabric can stretch to fit as needed.


To finish the neckhole I cut another length of bias fabric, stitched it to the edge stretching slightly as I sewed, then folded the other edge to the inside and stitched again to secure the whole thing.


I added a little ruffle detail at the back of the neck, because I like when there is some interest on the back as well as the front. This may be my favorite part of the shirt even though I never see it when I'm wearing it. Little touches like these help make handmade clothes more special than most ready to wear clothes you can buy.


The sleeves are 3/4 length. I can't remember if that was on purpose or because I ran out of fabric, but I really like them that way. The hem has a slight shirttail curve to it which is more difficult to sew but more wearable for me since I have wide-ish hips.


Some changes I plan on making the next time I use the pattern are to extend the shoulder seams outward by 1/4 inch or so to their original position. I had altered the pattern to remove that much width but think it needs to be added back. I also think the armscye (armhole) needs to be extended at the bottom, as the sleeves and bodice bunch a little too much when I'm wearing the shirt.

I am looking forward to making more knit shirts until I run out of fabric and need to make another trip to Chehalis.