From the Sewing Department

I did a little sewing over the weekend. Nothing fancy or special. Just a plain, long sleeve, v-neck t-shirt.

THAT I LOVE.

(And, yes. The lighting in my closet is . . . not great.) (Tom was away this weekend, so you'll see that all of the photos from today's post are rather . . . lacking.) (Oh well. You'll get the gist of it.)

This is the Tabor V-Neck from one of my favorite indie sewing pattern companies, Sew House Seven. I really love their patterns. (I've made several different designs from their portfolio - some multiple times.) They always have clear directions and plenty of helpful tips. This shirt, for example, includes a little trick for lining up a perfect v-neck. I'm thrilled! (This old dog is always up for learning new tricks.)

Anyway, this shirt is a wardrobe basic that I'll wear over and over. The fit is great, it's super comfortable to wear, and it didn't take long to put together either. I'm already plotting my next version(s).

I know a lot of people avoid working with knits . . . either because they think it'll be "too hard" to work with them, or because they don't have a serger. I'm here to tell you  . . . you don't need a serger to sew knits! I don't have one. (In fact, I've never even used one!) And unless they're "slippery" knits, they aren't hard to work with either. You just need to pay attention to what you're doing, and be careful not to stretch things out while you stitch. 

I love finding basic patterns that are easy to sew and easy to wear. 
(And, my. Sewing is so much faster than knitting, y'know?)

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How about you? What are you making this week?

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If you're looking to sew up a quick and useful holiday gift (or maybe even 4 of them?), Helen's Closet (another of my favorite indie pattern designers) just released the Sam Apron. It's even a freebie! All you have to do is sign up for the Helen's Closet newsletter. I'm planning to give this pattern a try . . . really soon!

Comments

[kat]

I love this shirt! Is the fabric a waffle weave? It looks awesome! (I have some knit material that just arrived and I am waiting until that Advent Calendar is in the mail to even start the process to make a simple sweatshirt from Sew House Seven!)

[Bonny]

That is a great shirt, and I especially love the waffly fabric. No you just need a few more in other colors! And I think you read my mind with the Sam Apron link! I was thinking about sewing an apron for Ryan for Christmas, but he is not a small guy. The Sam Apron solves the problem perfectly and the pdf is already on my laptop. Thank you!

[Juliann]

That looks like a very versatile shirt. I love your sewing posts and you are so right, sewing is much fast than knitting.

[Vicki]

YES!! I love that, Kym! It looks so comfy, and the fabric is great. I have ordered that pattern with a "re-make" of a recent not-so-great purchase in mind. I also love the Toaster Sweaters!!

[Margene]

I love the waffle fabric! This shirt looks so good and very comfy. You are very proficient when it comes to sewing either by machine or hand. I am never ever going to sew anything every again, but if I did...

[kim in oregon]

That looks like something I'd buy from Title Nine or LL Bean! Great job!

[Vera]

Perfection! Love the fabric, love the color, love the style. I am so tempted...by so many patterns from both companies you shared links to...BUT...I think I need to wait for retirement...I can't do everything already on my plate that I want to do!

[Dee]

Ooooooooo....the perfect cozy top. It looks like you even have some room to layer when it gets really cold.

Great job and a great color on you.

[Carole]

That's a GREAT shirt and I think I would want to make one in every neutral color! I agree that you don't need a serger for knits but I also think having one makes working with knits somewhat easier. I still remember my mother making Hannah a princess costume for Halloween that was layers of tulle and gold lame (not knit but tricky fabric to work with) and she did it without a serger and I honestly don't know HOW!

[Sarah]

That looks like the perfect comfy shirt (and it looks like it would go great with the correct cool weather wardrobe of sweatpants and sweater!). I'm still not ready to tackle garment sewing yet, but I do want to get to my tote bag project soon-ish (maybe Thanksgiving weekend?) and gain more confidence in following a pattern.

[Carolyn]

I love that! Might an inexperienced person encounter 'puckering' with knits while on the machine? Y'know...asking for a friend :)

[Debbie]

That shirt looks great, especially that fantastic v-neck finish!
In the early days of the pandemic I made a variety of patchwork squares out of scraps of fabric I had on hand. I recently pulled them out and am using them to make potholders for Christmas gifts.

[Jane]

Before I read your note about the v-neck, I thought that neck looks so crisp and professionally sewed. I do admire your sewing skills. The top looks great on you.

[Chloe]

Love the v-neck on that sweater/tee/shirt. Will keep it in mind should the urge to sew ever spring up again. Do you mind saying where you got the fabric, Kym? Knit fabric tends to be scarce in my neck of the woods. Thanks!

[kathy b]

your photos are so cute!! good for you and the tops. They are great

[eileen]

Catching up on blogs today and I just love yours. This sewing one is great, I have never used Sew House Seven but you can bet I'll be looking at their site in a few. I am currently trying to pull together knit shirts, both turtle and crew neck. I have done three that I like the fit--from taking apart a store bought knit shirt (my fav and barely wearable anymore) to make the almost perfect pattern,(never done this before.) I do love to sew, though usually sew for my kids, I can fit things to them so they turn out well. Sewing for me can be a hit and miss!