Saturday, February 28, 2015

Winter of Wearable Shirts: #3


How are you doing? I'm great, I just made super yummy chicken pot pie filling and I'm nibbling from it. Don't worry, if I ever cook for you its clean spoon every time I test those seasonings, but the fiance will be the only other person eating the pies so I don't care. I'm also working on writing my book, yup I'm writing a book (not about sewing) and I'm totally stuck on the 'I can't write' idea so I'll write this post instead. I know I can write this post.

I've loved the Neptune Tee by See Kate Sew since it was released, but I'm not the person who jumps on every new release. I let them stew around in my head and wait for fabric sales, sometimes for a long ass time. I waited for Hart's to have their Christmas sale and then bought this ponte to bring my total above their free shipping threshold. The pattern says that very stable knits are preferred and Hart's description seemed to satisfy that. I don't usually buy poly, but I trust Hart's implicitly even if I've never been there and only really bought from them once.


Sewing this shirt was a frickin' blast. I got all the right supplies, a stretch twin needle with the widest setting and stretch thread for the bobbin when using the twin needle. All the seams sewed so smoothly, stretch so nicely, and none feel like they are going to pop.


I'm not entirely happy with how the bindings around the neck and sleeves lay across the cutouts. I stretched the bindings to fit the edges, except at the cutouts I made sure to lay the binding completely flat. Now the bindings stick out a bit because the stretch in the neckline doesn't match how the fabric is stretch when worn. Doing it again, I would stretch out the binding ever so slightly. Not as much stretch as the rest of the neckline, just a tad.


See how that neckline is popping out a bit, that's what I'm talking about. Next time I'm making this, I'm lowering the front neckline and removing that cutout, but keeping the rest.

I love the inspiration behind this pattern. I was watching the Veronica Mars movie and and also thought, 'Damn Mac, hot dress.'

10 comments:

  1. That shirt is really sweet and different, I love it! You twin needle topstitch like a pro. Do you have any tips to offer? Mine always turn out terribly pin-tucked and/or willing to bust under any strain.

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  2. Thanks Siobhan! Well first, the fabric was really stable so that helps with the pin-tucked problem. I used Maxi-Lock's stretch thread in the bobbin when topstitching which I really think helps with the stretch. I can pull at that top-stitching for days and it doesn't pop. Also I had to special order the twin needle with ballpoints because I couldn't find them in the store and I think that made a difference, it felt really smooth. And a walking foot, its changed my life! Sorry that was long, but this was the first time I got all stuff specially for knits and it made all the difference in the world.

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    1. Thanks for the tips! I do use the ballpoint twin needles and a walking foot, could seriously not sew anything with stretch or bulk without it! I might try find some stretch thread or perhaps wooly nylon to use in the bobbin.

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    1. Thank you, I'm really liking my dive into wearability!

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  4. Cute! I love the cutouts, sometimes I think I want to cut out all the things!! Except pants. No cutouts on pants. But back to the shirt, great job, the topstitching is pefect, go you! :-)

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    1. What it we do cutouts on the ankles of skinny pants?!?!

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  5. That shirt is really cool with the cutouts! Your neck binding is off grain, that's probably why you're having tension issues. It should be cross grain, not with the grain. I did that to a bunch of t-shirts and realized later!

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  6. That shirt is really cool with the cutouts! Your neck binding is off grain, that's probably why you're having tension issues. It should be cross grain, not with the grain. I did that to a bunch of t-shirts and realized later!

    ReplyDelete
  7. That shirt is really cool with the cutouts! Your neck binding is off grain, that's probably why you're having tension issues. It should be cross grain, not with the grain. I did that to a bunch of t-shirts and realized later!

    ReplyDelete