Friends, I've been making t-shirts with random knit scraps that have been lying around the apartment. Believe it or not, one of these is not a Renfrew! I bought Simplicity 5509 from Miss Betty's Attic for two reasons: it called for one yard of knit fabric and one version had a keyhole neckline. It was love at first sight! (If you want to buy your own version, here are more for sale on Etsy)
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| Image found here |
I have had this (wretched) black knit in my possession for years. I attempted to make my first knit fabric project with this fabric six years ago, and it was a disaster. I didn't know to use a specific needle and I didn't realize how much stretch this heavier fabric had in it. Those gaucho pants were a DISASTER. I believe I ended up throwing them away shortly after.
I decided that with my increased knowledge of knits, perhaps I could conquer this fabric. I grabbed all the pattern pieces for version 3 and got to cutting. Stitching this up went fine - but when I tried it on, it was at least three sizes too big!! Oh, black knit fabric, I refuse to be thwarted! I ended up taking about six inches out of the side seams to finally get a fit I liked. Because I took so much out of the side seams, there was not enough fabric leftover in the kimono sleeves to gather at the base. I just folded under and stitched - I like it just as much.
This shirt took about four hours total. The hand sewing around the neckline and tie took the longest. I didn't trust my machine with the tie, so I saved myself the headache and got out my needle and thread.
I'm really excited about having more solid color t-shirts in my closet. These are great for casual Fridays at the office when paired with a suit jacket and jeans. I feel so boring when I say things like that, but the unfortunate truth is that I wear the majority of my clothing to work. Having a piece that can be worn both at work and then out in public increases its chances of seeing the light of day.
However, I still do like to make the crazy stuff, like this polka dot long sleeved Renfrew:
Rob and I are cat-sitting this weekend, and Vega was NOT going to be part of these pictures. She did not care that I was giving her my pouty face at all.
This shirt is made out of some sheer poly knit scraps I had lying around. I usually layer it with a grey tank to add some length and to make the shirt a bit more opaque. I've worn it out twice, and I think I am getting used to the polka dots. When I first tried it on, I felt the size of the polka dots was a bit overwhelming!
Here kitty kitty kitty...
Nope. No love whatsoever. They did love my ball of yarn, though...
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, all!