Another closet shortage inspired a sewing spree after the first snap of cold weather this fall. This time, it was long sleeve shirts that were in short supply. To fill the need, I found three pieces of fabric in my cabinet. One was an ITY in grey, (57" wide, 60% cotton and 40% polyester, cold water wash, lay flat to dry). The main piece was leftover from a dolman dress. There was a 2 foot long strip, almost half a yard wide, double thick, so twice that in fabric. There was a 3/4 yard whole piece attached to it. The dolman dress was a big success, my most worn piece during this past summer.
More on that shirt in a bit. The next piece was From The Confident Stitch, an Art Gallery Fabrics cotton knit with some small percentage of Lycra, (2 yards, 60" wide, $24).
To begin with a familiar pattern, the plan was to start with the Art Gallery piece and make Simplicity 9018 again, the mock turtle neck. Based on the previous make (thank you, old blog post for providing all the details I don't remember) this one was cut to the a medium size, grading to a large at the hips--with a special note not to cut the neckband to a smaller size again, even if it worked out as a good fit. No worries, the correct size is now marked on the pattern in sharpie! With the walking foot and the smallest stretch needle, this soft, stretchy fabric was easy to sew using my machine's knit (or lightening) stitch at the default length and width settings. Grading out the sides a bit more for extra hip room and tapering to a 3/8" seam allowance added a little more room for thicker winter pants, without extra fabric that would make it difficult to tuck in.
The print is directional with large motifs, making the design a little trouble to match at the seams. Overall, it mattered the most at the front neckline. That was the only place I bothered to line up the patches of flowers. The neckline seam runs right through the pink flowers--almost invisibly! The sleeve was cut to the medium size. The hem was turned up 2 1/4" -- I guess this top is long on me. I hemmed it at "3" on the coverstitch throat plate, probably 3 cm--a 1 1/2" hem. The sleeve hem came out closer to 1" because trying to sew the hem right on the edge risks missing the edge altogether. Very happy with this one.
Now back to the bits of ITY. Since it is leftover fabric, I decided to make a toile of Simplicity 9451, Version C. Although my initial idea was a top with a bodice that is gathered at the sleeve seam, I settled for one that is gathered at the shoulder seam. It was cut as a size 14, the largest size in this pattern size group. (Note: The neck loop piece is 1" wide by 2 1/4" long. No need to cut the pattern piece out when you can just measure it.) To make the best of a short-sighted situation, not having the larger size block, the side seam was altered to add 1/2" on each seam at the hips, tapering back to the size 14 at the side notch. This, plus narrowing the 5/8" seam allowance as much as possible, barely allowed it to fit. In spite of the seemingly complicated shoulder gathers, it went together really fast. Probably too fast, with the gathered shoulder sewn to the wrong back piece. Once that was corrected, it went fast enough to finish in 1 day.
It is tight--the ITY is not stretchy enough. It is wearable, and helped determine how to handle my next version of this pattern. First, it made me realize that the other view, the one with gathers at the waist as well as at the shoulder, is actually smaller in the bust and hips than this one. It was also apparent that I don't need the keyhole and button in the back. The facing flips up abysmally and should probably be eliminated but I am not sure what to use in place of the facing. In the right fabric, an unfinished edge would work.
This top looks so cute that 9451 was cut again, in a very stretchy waffle knit fabric a grey waffle knit from Fabric Mart (Cotton/ Poly/Rayon thermal knit by LA Designer 2 yards, $4/yd., Gentle Wash). Version D was selected, making it a bit of a toile. It was cut with an additional 1/4" more on the side seams and sewn with 3/8" seams everywhere below the armhole. The back seam was eliminated altogether, adding 1 1/4" at the center back. As usual, this was overkill. However, it worked out to a quite roomy top--my preferred fit.
The sleeves are full and gathered at the cuff. For some reason, either the pattern or the fabric, the sleeves are long, even after cutting off 1 1/2" at the hem. As in the first version, the facing flips up in the back, but the softer fabric makes it easier to push the facing into place. However, the plush fabric did not do well with my coverstitch. Despite adjusting the tension, foot pressure, stitch length and differential, the hem is wavy. Since the hem on the ITY is fine, I know it isn't the machine or me, just difficult fabric. The length is a bit longer than the ITY fabric one, proof that this fabric stretches out. The hem was turned up 1" on the ITY and 1 1/2" on the waffle knit. My lack of confidence with the coverstitch machine makes it difficult to hem right on the edge. As a result, the actual hems are 3/4" for the ITY and 1 1/4" for the waffle knit.
There is so much detail here because I plan to sew 9451 again, in the sleeveless version. That is the one with the gathers at the waist, View B. View B has the funnel neck, which would require the keyhole opening in the back. With a back seam, it might be too small. The knit I have planned to use is not as stretchy as the waffle knit. The safer bet would be to do view C with no back seam and with bias tape instead of neck facings since there's bias tape on the armholes.
The sleeve length is ok, but could be shortened a bit more if I use the gathered sleeve again.
I am still in a garment sewing frame of mind. Quilts are sitting by, but untouched. I have hope for good times in the New Year. Perhaps quilting will be part of it.
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