The Fastest Knit Top in the West

Burda Style Magazine:  04-12-139A

I remember when sergers were first marketed to the home sewer.  Part of the hyperbole was "Make a t-shirt in hours!"  This must have been the t-shirt they were talking about. This top was so freakin' easy!  I'd bet I spent more time prepping (photocopying the instructions, tracing pattern etc.) than actually sewing.  This top is essentially the same as the charmeuse top I made for my sister's birthday party.  The only difference is the fabric:  woven v. knit.

This little top officially ends my "I-don't-like-sewing-knits" period.  All it took was for me to learn more about knits by sewing lots and lots of t-shirts.  I learned about different types of knits and I learned I like sewing some types more than others.  For instance, this knit was easy to handle, but I doubt if it has even one natural fiber in it.  It doesn't breathe at all.  So, if I'm careful about the knits I choose, sewing knit garments will be as enjoyable as sewing wovens.

I Took a Craftsy Class

I toyed with the idea of a Craftsy class for a long time. I downloaded several of the free classes and watched them while I exercised.  Finally, I paid for a class that I actually sewed along with.  The Classic Tailored Shirt was perfect for me.  I love classic tailored shirts.  I already owned the pattern used in the class -- Kwik Sew 3586.  I'd made this blouse so many times I was sick of it.  When I learned it was the pattern used in the Craftsy class, I got excited about sewing it one more time.  I cleared my mind of all experience with this pattern and, for the sake of the class, I approached it as if I'd never made it before.

My Craftsy Classroom

Some people watch the entire course all the way through before beginning to sew.  I chose to watch one lesson all the way through and then sew along with that lesson before watching the next lesson.  Pam Howard, the instructor, was very thorough and relaxed.  She didn't fill empty space with useless chatter.  I don't know if other Craftsy instructors do this since this was my first class, but I appreciated her quiet style.  As I sewed along with the video, it felt like I was in a real class.  The background noise was another sewing machine and someone talking about sewing.  And I didn't have to shlep my sewing machine to another site!

In the Craftsy platform, students can post questions and the instructor posts responses.  The uploaded questions are time-stamped so that if someone entered a question 15 minutes into the lesson, it will appear onscreen in an unobtrusive sidebar at about that time.  As I watched the class, I could read related questions and answers (and not ask a question that has already been answered).

Even though I'd made this shirt many times, I learned new techniques from the class.  I chose this class because I wanted to make flat felled seams.  I don't think I like flat felled seams.  This was the first time I made real flat felled seams and the process seemed too fussy.  I have two felling feet for my machine, but since I was following the class instructions, I decided not to use either of them.  If I ever make them again, I'll use the feet!

My goal was to sew the shirt exactly as instructed.  I didn't use a serger because the instructor didn't use a serger.   I followed instructions right up until the time she sewed on the buttons …… by hand!  I just couldn't do it.  I sewed mine on by machine.

My first ever flat felled seam

Would I take another Craftsy Class?  Yes, definitely.  I want to crush my dislike of sewing knits and Craftsy offers two classes of interest:  Sewing Fashion Knits, taught by Linda Lee and The Ultimate T-shirt, taught by Marcy and Katherice Tilton.  I'm also considering Sew Faster, Sew Better: Garment Insustry Secrets taught by Janet Pray.  I've added these to my wishlist and I'm waiting for the next Craftsy sale.

My Craftsy blouse

Craftsy comes very close to duplicating a real live class experience.  The only things missing are real-life people.

Finished: Burda 8244 & Burda 3152

These OOP patterns are oldies-but-goodies.  Both are super simple and both are super quick.  If I'd had no other plans and the right color blue thread for the t-shirt, I could have made both pieces in a day.

Burda 8244: T-Shirt

The t-shirt has three options: cap sleeves, short sleeves and sleeveless tank top.  I chose view B.  I added a band on the neckline rather than a facing. I guess I felt a little daring.  The hem of the shirt is pinned up in the photograph above.  The body of the shirt is too long and I need to cut off at least 2 1/2 inches. Another change I might make is to add some shaping to the waist area.  Pamela Leggett of Pamela's Patterns called it "essence of waist" in her Perfect T-Shirt DVD.  I think this t-shirt would be more flattering with some essence of waist.  So it looks like this quickie t-shirt needs a little more time.


Burda 3152: Skirt
After owning this pattern for years and letting it languish in my pattern drawer, it has become my go-to pattern for a fast and easy skirt.  This is the second time I've made it in a week.  I remember teasing my 80+ year old aunt about patterns she held on to for decades. (She has patterns that cost 65¢!!!)  I may be doing the same thing.

I really like this simple outfit.  It's comfortable and is perfect for relaxed occasions.

A Chip Off the Old Block?

My daughter is enjoying her sewing journey.  She made this pillow for her fiancé, who is currently in Afghanistan.

I think it looks very military - the red and the gold braid are perfect. 

 Here is her commentary: "You'll notice that the cord fringe doesn't come together nicely like a thinner fabric fringe would so I actually had to tuck both ends of the cord into the pillow and then an elaborate version of the slip knot to secure it all in place. Feel free to post this pic on your blog! "

She is overly critical of her work, just like many of us sewers.  But, she's already meeting the inevitable challenges of sewing.  I think the pillow is wonderful!

Finished: McCall's 6563 & Burda 3152

Nothing says glamour like bias cut charmeuse.  I think this skirt and blouse is more festive than the black dress of the previous post.

The Top: McCall's 6563
For my top, I originally chose a Burda magazine pattern with modifications.  But I was afraid it would be too loose fitting and boxy to be worn with the full skirt.  So I searched the websites and found M6563.  The bias cut gives the top a little more shape than a straight cut.  I went to my local JoAnn and they didn't have the pattern in my size.  I called a second, less local but convenient JoAnn and they didn't have it either.  I called a third, even less local and totally inconvenient JoAnn and thankfully, they had it.   I could have waited until the next day instead of driving 14 miles out of the way, but I'm retired and I have more time than sense.  Besides, I wanted to spend the next day sewing the top.

The top was very easy to sew.  I wanted to be sure the narrow hem on the sleeve looked good, so I did not use my narrow hem foot.  I used the method  for the Chiffon Hem in High Fashion Sewing Secrets, (Shaeffer, 2001).

The Skirt:  Burda 3152
I've had this pattern forever.  I've done two pattern purges recently, and this pattern made it through both. The skirt is a simple four paneled A-line with an elastic waist.  Since it has an elastic waist, it was very easy to cut a larger size to give the skirt more fullness.  And, since it is so easy to sew, I'm going to make at least one other version.


Now that my party outfit is set, I can practice my Wobble and Cupid Shuffle. I might even drop it like it's hot!

Finished: Burda Plus Fashion SS-10-427

Introduction:  My youngest sister is throwing herself a big 40th birthday party.  It started out as a formal affair but has morphed into a less formal party in which the guests are being asked to wear black.  I bought 6 yards of black crepe during PR Weekend in San Francisco and made BPF Spring/Summer 2010 #427.

BPF SS-10-427

Pattern Description:  Dress with princess seams that begin in cut-on sleeves.  The center front panel gathers into the side front seam.

Pattern Sizing:  Plus size range 44 - 52

Fabric Used:  synthetic crepe

Were the instructions easy to follow?:  The trickiest part of the dress and instructions was the inset corners on both the front and the back.  I remember inset corners I made many years ago.  They were horrible.  Burda instructs the sewer to stitch the seams in two steps; breaking the seam at the corner and clipping the seam allowance between steps. There is another way to do an inset corner using organza, but I didn't remember where I saw the method so I depended on Burda's instructions.

Adding seam allowances to the sleeves was interesting.  The pattern piece was oddly shaped and there wasn't enough room to draw on the  5/8 inch seam allowances.  So I didn't add them to the area.  Instead, I rough-cut around the area and marked the stitching line with thread tracing.  The pros mark stitching lines and rough-cut seam allowances.  I didn't freak out when I realized I couldn't draw in 5/8th seam allowances, but felt very professional using this method.

I sewed on the thread traced seam line, then clipped up to the stitching line as instructed.  It worked on three out of the four corners.  I can't explain what went wrong, but one corner didn't come out evenly.

To gather the front, I marked the finished length on a strip of stay tape.  I used the stay tape as a guide when gathering so that the gathered section was  the correct length and sewed the stay tape to the front piece.  The stay tape is sheer and didn't add bulk to the seam.

Burda translations are usually awkward and sometimes funny.  The instructions referred to the left and right front pieces as "center front with right sleeve front" and "center front which lies beneath with left sleeve front".  Every time I read it, I though of a 1950s horror movie like "The Creature That Lies Beneath".

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?:  I liked the gathering because it hides my belly.

Conclusion:  Once the dress was finished, I realized it wasn't festive enough for a birthday party.  Very appropriate for a funeral, but not a birthday party.  I have another plan for the birthday party that will allow me to stay within the party dress code but not look like I'm in mourning.

I wish I could do a better job of photographing a black dress.

It's not easy to tell from the photo, but the dress turned out very well.  I won't wear it to my sister's party, but every woman needs a black dress.  Now I have one.