20: Blank Slate patterns High Low top

I have decided I need tops. I have made several dresses and leggings but only 1 top and in my wardrobe I have a serious shortage of nice easy to wear tops. I downloaded this pattern a while ago but only stuck it together a few days ago. I decided to follow my new rules and make it up first in a muslin especially since I followed Mel's advice and did the adjustment to the shoulders recommended for my body type. Assuming it does fit I would wear it.

The directions for all of this is in Mel's tutorial.

This free pattern is from Melly Sews of Blank Slate Patterns:
http://mellysews.com/2013/02/high-low-shirt-tutorial-pattern.html
Its only available in a small which I reckon is around a 36 EU size. The pattern is for wovens but Mel does say you can make it in a knit as well. I had knit fabric.

Anyway, I cut it out and sewed the darts no problem.

But due to not having any overlocking thread in white or cream ( my fabric is cream) and only having black, purple and red. I did not even have 4 white normal threads I could use and I did not think it would be a good pattern for contrast since the fabric is transparent in poarts so the coloured thread would show through on seams and not just hems which probably would look ok. I decided to attempt to sew this on a normal sewing machine.

BIG MISTAKE! 

Now I remember why I bought the overlocker!

And seriously big respect to everyone who regularly sews knits on a normal sewing machine. I am rubbish at it. I started sewing the shoulder up using a small zigzag stitch. First the sewing machine ate my fabric.

I had to take the machine appart to get the fabric out. You can probably see the chewed corner above.
Well I suppose I had to learn how at some point but today was not meant to be the time. The top was salvageable especially since I did not yet know if it would even fit and I started again only to have the machine eat my fabric again. I soldiered on. Inserted the sleeves OK and then did the side seams. I try it on and yes it does fit. I do not like it. I will definitely use the pattern again but may stick with using it for wovens because I work in my real life in an engineering research laboratory and generally I prefer this kind of top because its easy to wear and easy to move in so it will make me some very nice tops I think so thank you to Mel at mellysews.com for this freebie. I am very glad to have made the muslin but won't be wearing this one.

Also from now on I am only using an overlocker on knits. I can now cope with twin needle stitched hems but not zigzagging the seams on knits. I did used to do this but I just could not get a good enough finish. Still on the plus side I have made my muslin as intended and it fits so I am ready to go with lots of tops.

So how do you cope with knits?

 Do you use an overlocker/serger? 

Or do you use a normal sewing machine?

Thanks for reading and see you again soon 

Update on this rather boring fabric. Three years after I wrote this I discovered it tie dyes amazingly well  so then I turned the rest of this fabric into this really lovely and very favourite Tshirt.  

 

You really would not believe it was the same stuff would you?

Just proves no fabric buying is a disaster. You must just find out how to make it work!

Bracken