Knit Tops

My Minions,

I have completed the last two tops cut from Gertie’s Knit Sweetheart Top pattern.  I love the finished product and love even more that the fit was exactly what I was hoping for without alterations.

There was one part of the construction that I did not love, and that was the binding application.  I put the neck and sleeve binding on as instructed.  I was originally going to ignore them in favor of applying bindings as I always do, but decided trying new methods is necessary for growth and development.  So I gave it a shot. 

My first bit of irritation was sewing the binding on at the standard 5/8” seam allowance and trimming the seam allowance down to ½”.  This seemed like an unnecessary amount of work, though I trimmed it down to ½” with my serger, so it really wasn't that bad.  See trimming below.

The instructions then have you finger press and pin the binding to the inside, enclosing the raw edges of the neck and sleeves.  This is then stitched in place with a twin needle.  I’m not against finger pressing or twin needles, but one of those needles had to go into the ditch formed by the binding to garment seam, and the pins distorted the smoothness of the ditch.  I ended up using was away Wonder Tape to hold the binding in place while topstitching. 

In the end, I would have preferred the TNT method of folding the binding in half, serging the raw edges of the binding and garment together, and then pressing and topstitching the seam allowance to the garment.  It seems like much less fuss for an equally good or better looking finish.

I did not follow the instructions to make the tops have a sweetheart neckline since after pinning the tucks in place and trying it on, I decided I liked it better with a plain scoop neckline.  The sweetheart neckline is the last thing completed on this shirt in the instructions other than the hem, so I can always go back and put it in if I change my mind. For now though, here’s how they look!  

Up next on my cutting table is the skirt in Vogue’s Donna Karan Collection V1324.  I love the style lines!

I’m planning to make it with black wool doubleknit that I got two years ago from Mood and black knit lining from Emma One Sock.  

Though I measure a 14 according the envelope, the flat pattern measurements of the size 12 still leave me with an inch of ease all over, which I think is enough for my knit fabric and lining.  I’m planning to start sewing this over the weekend, assuming my interfacing arrives by then.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe