T-Shirt Details

Back in the 80's, my friend Caroline and I took a LOT of sewing workshops. We didn't have to travel far because there was a fabulous instructor right here in town who taught everything from lingerie to tailoring. She had trained as a home economics teacher in Australia and then immigrated to Canada and is both an incredibly gifted seamstress and an excellent teacher - a great combo. When I talked to her recently, I mentioned that I wished she was still teaching garment classes (as opposed to quilting) and especially the knit classes since knits are popular again now like they were back then. It's not likely to happen but I wish.

One of the first out of town trips that Caroline and I took was an overnight to Kelowna (2 1/2 hours) and a visit to the Stretch & Sew store that used to be there. The store was completely devoted to knit fabrics, knit patterns, and notions and accessories for knits. The ribbing selection alone was worth the drive.




The Stretch & Sew company was started by Ann Person. I remember learning the things in her book The Stretch & Sew Guide to Sewing on Knits from Diane but I can't remember if I had bought the book (and if so where is it) and I have no idea at this point what happened to my notes. A few months ago, I bought a second hand copy and the information is every bit as wonderful as I remember. I'm using it to draft and stitch the cowl neck of my current t-shirt.

More recently, I've learned about working with knits from Marcy Tilton's patterns, books, and DVDs. Her website contains a LOT of information. One of the most valuable tips was to use knit interfacing to stabilize the shoulder seams, hems, and some necklines. I like Fusi-Knit. It comes in white, cream, and black, has a wonderful hand, and is lightweight and easy to use. I use it for knits and wovens. Below, I used it to stabilize the shoulder seam on my grey t-shirt. I have a jar of 1" strips cut and ready to use.

The neckline on a t-shirt can make or break the project. Here's where current techniques differ from those in Ann's book. Back then, neckbands were applied in the round. Now they're stitched like RTW (ready-to-wear). One shoulder seam is stitched and then the neckband applied, and then the second shoulder seam stitched crossing over the neckband. Below, you can see that I've stretched and pinned the band in place. I could have done this as I stitched however, I want to make sure it was even and long enough before beginning.

This seam will be enclosed and not visible. Even so, I serge it using a 3 thread stitch in order to get a seam allowance that is absolutely even in width. A serger is great for this. Once the seam is stitched, it is set, and then pressed toward the neckband.

I then turn and pin the neckband in place. Again, I could do this as I stitch but I prefer to take the extra time and get it smooth and even. That's something I've learned over the years. That a little more time spent up front can make for a lot less time spent ripping out stitches and a higher success rate. Slow and steady wins the race.




There are all kinds of ways to stitch the band in place. I chose to stitch in the ditch as the fabric was fuzzy and ribbed and this seemed the best choice. On a smoother fabric, I might choose a double needle. Eventually, I'm going to own a Cover Stitch machine and will sew the neckband on that way. YES YES! It's on my wish list.




Once the neckband is in place, it is steamed flat and even. This is something I remember from those classes in the 80's especially to steam and then walk away and let it cool completely before picking it up in order to avoid stretching. For a tighter neckline, I'd steam it over a dressmaker's ham.

And here it is finished. In may seem like a long process but actually it's quite quick and well worth the work.

Seri wrote - can you give some tips for sewing on knits without stretching it out of shape?

I wrote this post yesterday before I received your comment. How fun that it is on the topic. If you let me know what areas you are specifically concerned about stretching that would help me to answer your question. One thing I didn't mention is stay stitching. If in the altering process the neckline is being reshaped, stay stitching from the shoulder to center front or center back before doing anything else will help considerably. Setting with steam and letting cool to shape was key learning for me years ago. If you pick the knit up when it's damp or hot, it stretches easily. Happy to help more. Let me know. Check out Marcy's site too. LOTS of info there.

This morning, I'm off to Arts & Crafts Club and later to Knit Night. In-between I have a list of errands. Things to pick up for my holiday. Most likely I'm done sewing for this week. It's time to start organizing and packing for my trip. I leave early Friday morning. My plans have changed. I'll tell you more about that later.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a serger that sews for hours wonderfully and doesn't ping and break the thread