Thursday, December 31, 2015

Knit Wrap Top Sew-Along #7: Final Steps!

Ready to finish your top? I promised to show you a cool trick to hem your sleeves by machine, and here it is. This is a good trick to know for hemming any lined sleeves by machine.

You'll be starting with your top right side out, and you'll have two sleeve layers inside each other.


Turn in the seam allowances on the sleeves (in just one little spot) the way they will be sewn. So the seam allowances will be turned in and facing each other.

Next, dig into the sleeves a bit so that you can pin the seam allowances this way from the inside. Don't worry too much about how this is done, just that the two layers are pinned together the way they will be sewn.


Remember that opening you left in the waistline? Dig in there with your hand and pull out the sleeves that you pinned. They'll look like this.

Now, pin the sleeve raw edges together all the way around. It's funny looking, like two elephant trunks touching and then getting pinned together at the edges.


Take to the machine and sew around the edges you pinned. Use a straight stitch and stretch the fabric as you sew. I'm pulling up the two sleeves here so you can get a better idea of how the sewing works.

Here's what you'll have.

Push the sleeves back into the opening and put one sleeve inside the other. The sleeve hem is finished! You'll want to give it a little press.

Repeat the above steps with the other sleeve.

Next, we're going to edgestitch the side opening for the ties. Remember these?


Make sure those seam allowances are turned in, pin them in place, and then edgestitch around the opening.


Your final step is to hand stitch the opening at the waistline closed. A slip stitch or ladder stitch is great.



Hey, your top is finished! Give it a light press, lightly pressing all the edges flat. It's ready to wear!




21 comments:

  1. This is so beautiful! And I LOVE the fabric, which is in my favourite colour. I wish the pattern would hurry up and be released in Australia

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  2. That trick for the sleeves is brilliant. It's so obvious the once you see it, yet I have never put it together myself.

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  3. Clever way to do the sleeves. I jumped ahead and just stitched them by hand but I'll have to do this next time.

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  4. Reminds me of the Tim Conway Siamese Elephant skit.

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    1. That is EXACTLY what I thought, too. :)

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  5. Elephant trunks, hee. Such an accurate description; I totally get what you mean. I have mine cut out and will start sewing today. It is so great when you sew with your line of fabrics because anyone can get them and recreate your fabulousness, (or just be inspired by it! )

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  6. I've just started making clothes after a long hiatus and have found your blog to be very inspirational. I mostly spend my time making quilts so brushing up on my sewing skills with posts like this one are perfect. thanks!

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  7. Yay! I actually finished mine right before Christmas and got pictures and a pattern review up on my blog! :) http://www.edelweisspatterns.com/blog/?p=5472

    Thanks for doing this!
    Happy sewing,
    Katrina @ Edelweiss Patterns

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  8. So, I just made this top in a size small, because that's what the measurements indicated, and I would love it except for how short it came out. It hits well above my natural waist. I'm a short girl, too, at 5'1". There is nothing I can wear it with without my midriff showing a little bit, unless I wear it over a dress. I followed the pattern and the instructions very carefully. Unless there's a mistake that I made without realizing it, I'm going to have to extend the length of the pattern by a few inches on each end if I want to make more.

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    1. Hi there! When fitted to the specific wearer, it should hit exactly at the natural waist. So when paired with the coordinating skirt, no skin should show. It sounds like you need to extend it for your body.

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    2. I'll do that next time (there will definitely be a next time, because I love the design in every other respect). I haven't made the skirt yet, so I tried it on with a pair of high-waisted pants. I'm relieved to know I didn't make a mistake... I was so careful! Thanks. :)

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  9. The design is really cool but I was really disappointed in the length of this shirt. Even with the coordinating skirt, it is way too short - fits more like a ballerina wrap than a shirt you could wear out in public. I also had an issue with the sleeves being too tight on my arms - both are fit issues I've never had before. I might make it again but will have to add at least 4 inches to the bottom. I think the pattern needs to be fixed when reissued though - it's short on 5'6", 5'3" and 5'7" female roommates. Given the comment from someone 5'1" above, seems strange that all these different heights (and thus different backwaist lengths) have the same problem. Sorry to be negative - your patterns usually fit me so well! - but I wanted other sewists to know they should consider adding length straight from the start.

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    1. I'm so bewildered by this and am trying to figure out why the results people are getting are so different from my own results.

      I'm 5'7" and the length is correct on me--meaning it comes to the natural waistline and it overlaps the waistband on the coordinating high-waisted skirt. I'm using the size 14 pattern straight from the envelope, and you can see in the first picture on this post that it comes to the mannequin's natural waist. Does it look longer in the picture than in your top?

      I'm starting to wonder if it's a difference in stretchiness of fabric, and direction of stretch. I'm using a fabric that stretches in both directions, which would make it stretch longer to the waistline. Also, there's degree of stretch. A less stretchy fabric would make the top appear shorter.

      Can you tell me more about the fabric you're using? Does it stretch in both directions?

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  10. The fabric I'm using is a basic jersey knit from Jo-Anns and it's a two way stretch. I managed to eke out an extra inch by making the seam allowance smaller but it still really doesn't look like the photo on the front. On me, it basically looks like this Repetto Ballet Wrap Cardi: http://www.thisnext.com/item/18D2BA2E/Repetto-ballet-wrap-cardigan

    The good news is I made it in black knit because I figured if it didn't fit I could adjust but this is a lot. Given the design, I'm not even really sure how I could add 3-4 inches without making it really wonky.

    Thanks for your help on this!! Very much appreciated :)

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  11. I'm unfortunately having the same issue with the length. I am 5'8" and the top is hitting at least an inch above my belly button. My fabric is 95% rayon, 5% spandex. It's a 4 way stretch fabric and it doesn't seem to be shrinking due to its drape. I wondered if I should have gone to a larger size, but according to the back length measurements, even going up a few sizes would only add an inch of length. I took my soft tape and measured the pattern and I remeasured my fabric (and myself!) and I can't see how this pattern could possibly have any other result for me. I would need it to be at least 4 inches longer. It will still be cute over a dress, but I was hoping to wear it alone as a top. Hopefully this feedback will help.

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    1. About an inch above the belly button isn't far off from where it's supposed to be. It should reach your natural waist, where you bend at the side. On me, this is slightly above my belly button. The coordinating skirt should reach an inch above the natural waist, meaning the two would overlap. Another factor here could be how high people actually like to wear their skirts. Four inches longer would put this below the natural waist, and perhaps that's what people want, but it's unfortunately not the top I designed!

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    2. Understood! :) When I bend at the side, my natural waist is right under my ribcage. I never realized it was so high! Thank you for the explanation.

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  12. I would be very interested in a sew along for the skirt that is included in this pattern! I'm thinking about attempting it on my own but have never sewn pleats or pockets before and am feeling slightly nervous. Is this a possibility? Thanks!

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  13. Hi Gertie
    Just got this pattern in London. Unfortunately I didn't find any knit fabric I liked. Is there any possibility I could make the shirt work with a very delicate cotton? I would give more ease in the sleeves. If not, I guess the other possibility would be to simply buy your fabric on line.

    Thanks
    Shuna

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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