When I got home from Washington I picked up a project that I started about a month ago. I had it 80% complete and for whatever reason, it was set aside. It was fun to pick it up and finish it. Even more fun that I really like the fit, which as you can imagine, is not always the case!
Using McCall’s Pattern M7122, and a jersey knit by Art Gallery Fabric, I made a fun t-shirt. It has dolman sleeves that are 3/4 length. Being a vertically challenged person, I did cut the sleeves and overall length shorter. I made sure to prewash the fabric and dried it in a warm drier to make sure I wouldn’t have a shrinkage problem.
The only area where I did have to pay a bit of extra attention was making sure the striped pattern matched up when cutting the pieces. For the most part, I was successful here. It isn’t perfect but from a distance it looks nice.
The morning sun was making my eyes squint a bit but I am pleased with the fit (more so than the photo!!)
I like the little slits at each side. The t-shirt is really comfy and perfect to wear with leggings.
POST UPDATE: I should have included more details about how I made the shirt – there was a good question in the comments. Here are some tips.
I use my normal Janome 6500P sewing machine. All of the seams are stitched with a very, very narrow zig zag. On my machine it is 1 for width and 1 for length. This allows for some stretch so the seams don’t pop. Once I try it on and the fit is good, I do another, slightly wider zig zag to the right of the stitching line and then I trim the seam close to that. I use a ball point needle for the entire project. This is critical when sewing with knits. Also, I use a double point needle for any top stitching such as the hemlines and around the neckline. Hope this is helpful information. If you have questions, let me know.
Now I just have to be sure and wear it a few times before it gets too hot. I can tell summer will be here far too early. It has been in the mid-70’s this week. By end of May it will probably be hot. Ugh! We didn’t get nearly enough rain and I am definitely not ready for the heat of summer. (It is my least favorite season.)
In other news, my husband and I got our first vaccine injection yesterday! We both felt a little bit off last night but hopefully that will be it. Feels so good to have that done. I hope you are all making progress with the vaccines as well. We will soon be safely visiting friends and family in person!! Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Linking to:
Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday at QuiltingGail
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop! at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty
Cute! It looks very nice on you. You might be surprised how long you can wear that into the summer, with that sleeve style that doesn’t hug up close to the underarm.
Thank you! Hopefully I will get lots of use out of this t-shirt. I love the bright pink color – not what I normally would select so it is a new one for me. Have a great weekend!
I forward this post to my daughter in Oklahoma (I am in CA) who works with knits a lot. Do you sew or serge the clothes?
Hi – I should have included more details in the post! I use my normal Janome sewing machine. All of the seams are stitched with a very, very narrow zig zag. On my machine it is 1 for width and 1 for length. This allows for some stretch so the seams don’t pop. Once I try it on and the fit is good, I do another, slightly wider zig zag to the right of the stitching line and then I trim the seam close to that. I use a ball point needle for the entire project. This is critical when sewing with knits. Also, I use a double point needle for any top stitching such as the hemlines and around the neckline. Hope this help! If you have questions, let me know. 🙂
Ohhhh, that’s so cute!! I love the length, too!
Thank you Nancy. I like the length as well. I would surely make another one of these – it might be nice to try making it with short sleeves next time. 🙂
I love raglan sleeves. Comfortable to wear and easy to sew. Win- win! Looks great!
For sure – Raglan sleeves are much easier than setting circular sleeves. Thanks a bunch for your note Susan. 🙂
A post that has me thinking – recently I have wanted to once again try making some clothes for myself. The top is very nice looking on you.
We have had both our vaccines and feeling comfortable being out in places now. We know there are still careless people out there who refuse to do what’s good for mankind but getting our vaccines shows we love our families and friends to be safely around them without spreading a deadly virus onto them.
I feel blessed to be among those who also care.
Happy Saturday Kathy! I love sewing and it is fun for me to do a little of this and a little of that, know what I mean. Quilting, clothes, bags – it is all so satisfying. Maybe give it a try and make a t-shirt. There is a super easy, inexpensive pattern for a simple pullover t-shirt online. I have made it and honestly it is quite cute.
https://blankslatepatterns.com/products/blanc-t-shirt
Have a nice weekend!
Love the style of the shirt, and the color looks great on you! Cute pic of you and your hubby, too!
Thank you Wendy! It is such a beautiful morning here – I have a few plants I got at the nursery (after we got our shots) so I want to get those in the ground. I need to get my fill of outdoors before it gets hot around here!! Won’t be long. 🙁
That is a really cute shirt Bernie. I love the style and the side slits – just my style. You did a nice job on matching those strips. I haven’t worked with knits or made my own clothes for decades. You are sparking my interest. Cute pic of you and Ray. Hubby got his vaccine and the second one. I won’t be getting any – always the rebel. 😉
Hey Rebel-Linda, Since you already had Covid, I guess you are mostly protected. The t-shirt was super fun and so easy to make. Knits scare a lot of people but they really aren’t that difficult. I did update the post with a few tips that I should have included. Hope you are going to see your grand kids over the weekend for Easter. We are going back up to WA in May! Yahoo!!
Hi Bernie! Lovely t-shirt. You did an excellent job making it and modeling it. I love the picture of you and DH – congrats on getting the first dose. Stay safe and healthy. ~smile~ Roseanne
That t shirt looks so good. You did a great job from what the picture shows. Thanks for the tips and the pattern number. I would love to make some knit tops but I generally have problems fitting. Sigh. Congrats on being a step further to visiting family and friends. I’m with you on summer. I hate the heat and we have humidity too. No wonder I stay indoors and sew for most of the time.
Hi Bonnie, I am so thankful not to deal with humidity. I lived in central PA for a couple of years and the summers were so sticky. The older I get, the less tolerant of heat I become. Oh well, we certainly have the perfect indoor hobby!!
What a cute shirt, and don’t you look darling in it! The red is perfect with your coloring. I used to sew a lot with knits (do you remember the old “Stretch and Sew” days and patterns?) maybe I’ll get back to it some day…
Yep – I remember them. Also remember thinking sewing with knits was daunting. But it isn’t. T-shirts are so forgiving and easier to fit. Lots of fun!!
Love the shirt!!! Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful and the t-shirt is pretty too 🙂 Love the hot pink.
Matching stripes would have been a challenge. But clearly, you were up to the task.