Before we start this second lesson, in which we are actually going to be sewing, I want to remind you of a couple of things. Is your machine cleaned and oiled? Have you inserted the correct size ball-point needle? Thread your needle and bobbin with good quality polyester thread. Set your stitch length for 2 or 2.5, which is around 10-12 stitches per inch.
Now take some fabric scraps and do some test stitches. Double the fabric (since most of your sewing will be done on two thicknesses) and see what the stitches look like. Check for any skipped stitches. If you do have skipped stitches, rectify this now by changing the needle. If you don't solve this problem, it will plague you throughout the project and it won't get better by itself. Try a test seam and then pull the two layers apart to see how the stitches hold. Can you see them on the right side? Then you have a tension problem and you will need to correct that. Consult your manual to see how to adjust your tension.
Tip - If your machine has a special stitch for knits, by all means use it. This will look like a mini-lightning stroke. It is wonderful stitch for giving strength to knit seams, yet it is narrow enough to press open easily. Generally, I stitch knits with a straight stitch, but if it is a particularly stretchy knit, then I will opt for the narrow zigzag stitch.
The pattern that I am using for this lesson is Jalie 2005, a pattern with 3 versions of a close-fitting t-shirt. My daughter really likes the fit of this top as it fits close and gives shape. The sleeves are set in on the shoulder, rather than being a dropped sleeve. This gives a more tailored look to a t-shirt.
Jalie 2005 in 100% cotton jersey
This pattern finishes the neckline of the t-shirt with self-fabric rather than ribbing, but I will give you instructions for both finishes.
The first thing you will do is to cut a piece of seam tape the length of the shoulder seam on the pattern tissue. If you don't have seam tape, you can use a ½" strip of lining selvage, or a strip of self-fabric cut on the lengthwise grain. I have noticed that many retail knit shirts have this piece of self-fabric in the shoulder seams. Cut the strip 1" wide and press it in half wrong sides together. Place the strip on the shoulder seam so that the raw edge points to the raw edge of the garment.
The stabilizing strip for the shoulders
The purpose of this strip of fabric is to stabilize the shoulder seams. The weight of your garment hangs from the shoulder and knit fabrics have a tendency to stretch. This piece of fabric inserted into the seam will prevent that from happening.
Place the piece of stabilizing fabric or elastic on the front shoulder seam. By pinning the ends of the shoulder seam to the stabilizing strip, you will keep the shoulder seam its original length. Place one or two more pins in the center of the seam. Now stitch your shoulder seams using directional stitching. This means that you sew both seams from the neckline towards the armhole. You are stitching with the grain of the fabric, rather than against it, and less likely to distort or stretch the seam.
Directional sewing of shoulder seams
You can sew this seam on your sewing machine and then finish the edges with a zigzag stitch or with the serger, or you can sew it completely on the serger, using a 4-thread stitch.
Although knits don't require much pressing, they do benefit from some. Get in the habit of pressing seams as soon as they are sewn. This seam should be pressed toward the back of the garment. This is why the stabilizer was placed on the front so that it will lay flat when the seam is pressed. Knits don't require heavy pressing; just a light press with some steam will be sufficient. If you have a clapper, use it to flatten the seam after pressing.
Tip: I met a lady years ago who bragged that she never pressed anything while she was sewing because it was faster. She waited until the end to give her garment one big press. Her lack of pressing made her clothes look very home-made. The seams were not flat but were all rounded and lumpy. It is very difficult to press seams adequately once they are attached to something else. Best to press them while they are flat, which is best done immediately after sewing them.
Another tip: lower your ironing board so that you can sit at it to press. Then if you have a swivel chair in your sewing room, you can simply turn from the machine to the board to press without getting up.
On knits that are stable, you can eliminate the stabilizing strip of fabric. To reinforce the shoulder seam, topstitch it at ¼" from the seam, on the back garment piece. This keeps the seam flat, strengthens it, and also looks nice.
Top-stitch the shoulder seam
Method One: A Ribbed Neck Edge
As soon as the shoulder seams are sewn, you can finish the neck edge. It is easier to do this while the garment can open up flat, i.e. before the sleeves are sewn in. If you are like me, I like to do the harder things first and get them out of the way. Since the neckline is the hardest part of a knit top, we'll get right to it so we have easier sailing the rest of the way.
It is quite difficult to find matching ribbing for t-shirt knits. If you see a matching rib for a knit fabric, purchase it without a second thought. Personally, I don't like the look of contrasting rib-knit on t-shirts, so I opt to finish the neck with binding if there is no rib trim to match.
Don't pre-wash ribbing. The shrinkage doesn't matter, since the ribbing is meant to fit snug. And pre-washing may distort it.
Any top that pulls on over your head can be finished with ribbing. The standard ratio is 2:3. In other words, the ribbing will measure 2/3 of the neck edge. If you are working with a pattern that has 5/8" seam allowances, trim them to ¼".
Measure the neck line on the stitching line
To measure the neckline, fold the shirt in half on the center front and back. Measure around the neck edge on the stitching line, placing the tape on its edge. Then double this measurement and add ½" for the seam allowances.
If you are making a t-shirt with a crew-neck, the usual depth of the ribbing is 1 1/4" wide finished. So cut your ribbing 3" wide by 2/3 of the neck edge plus seam allowances for joining. For example, a t-shirt with a neck edge of 21" should have ribbing that measures 14"when joined in a circle. Join the ribbing right sides together so that it forms a circle. Test the fit by pulling this over your head to be sure it will pull on.
Cut your ribbing for neckline
Now fold the ribbing in half lengthwise, and divide it into quarters with pins.
Divide ribbing into quarters
Also divide the neckline into quarters by folding it in half, matching the shoulder seams. This will give you the center front and back folds. Place pins at those points, then fold the shirt in half again so that those two pins are together. This will give you the other marks. Note that these will not be at the shoulder seams but slightly in front. This is because the front neckline is larger than the back neckline.
Divide neckline into quarters
Now, pin the ribbing to the right side of the neck edge, matching your four pins and having all the raw edges even. Stitch the ribbing to the neckline, stretching the ribbing to fit. It is easiest to do this sewing with the ribbing uppermost. You will need to pull the ribbing gently between the pin points to be sure that it fits the neckline. After this line of stitching is complete, you can zigzag all the seam allowances together or serge them, trimming off the uneven edges.
Note: If you sew this neck seam entirely by serger, be sure to place the pins parallel to the neck edge and remove them before you come to them with the serger. The serger will cut right through pins if you happen to cross them, which ruins your blade by the way. Don't ask me how I know this.
Pin ribbing to neckline, matching pins and stitch with 1/4" seam allowance
Now pull the ribbing out flat and gently press the seam allowances towards the garment.
I like to topstitch just below the ribbing on the garment side. This line of stitching holds all the seam allowances in place and also gives a professional look.
Top-stitch the neckline
You can even use one of your machine's decorative stitches for this
Picture scanned from Singer Creative Gifts & Projects, published by Cy DeCosse Incorporated, copyright 1993.
Close-up of the neck finish on Jalie 2005
On knit tops, this is my preferred neckline treatment. For two reasons: matching ribbing is difficult, often impossible, to find and I think this finish makes the top more dressy and therefore more versatile. You can wear it with casual pants or skirts, and you can even wear it under a suit jacket, especially if you have found a nice rayon, linen, or silk knit.
For this finish, trim away the seam allowance at the neck edge. Cut a strip of the garment fabric on the cross grain. The length of this strip will be the measurement of the neckline seam. I don't allow for seam allowances because I actually want the strip to be slightly smaller than the neck edge in order to pull it in slightly towards the body. The width of the strip should be 1 ½" wide; this will give a finished binding of 3/8" wide. After you have done this method a few times, you will feel more comfortable experimenting with different widths of binding for different effects. For instance, a ¾" wide binding of plaid fabric cut on the bias would look very effective on a solid colour knit.
Join the binding into a circle
Join the neckline strip into a circle by sewing the two short ends together. Use a ½" seam allowance and then trim it down to ¼". This will make the neck binding 1" smaller than the actual neck edge. While the strip is folded as in the diagram, mark the other side as the center front.
Now, pin the binding to the neck edge of the t-shirt, right sides together. Place the seam at the center back and match the center fronts. Begin pinning the binding to the neck edge, working out from the center back. Because the binding is slightly smaller than the neck edge, it won't quite fit. You will need to stretch it a little. The stretched area of the binding should be on the front neckline of the shirt, so that it will pull in slightly towards the body. Ease the binding onto the front neckline, pinning as necessary.
Pin binding to neck edge
Now, sew the binding to the neck edge, using the edge of your regular presser foot as the guide. Keep the raw edges even with the edge of the foot; this will ensure that your binding will be an even width around the neck.
Now, wrap the binding around the seam allowances to the inside of the neck. Take your time to do this and use pins. It is worth taking some effort with this, as it is the most noticeable part of the t-shirt and closest to your face. You want it to look good. Wrap the binding around so that the raw edges come right up to the fold, but don't over pull here.
Wrap binding around to inside
You have several methods of finishing this edge. I will show three here in the diagrams to follow. The first and easiest method shown is to "stitch in the ditch". This means to stitch, from the right side, in the well of the seam formed between the binding and the garment. This stitching, if done correctly, is practically invisible when finished. Then, you simply trim away the excess binding on the inside. Because knits don't ravel, you don't have to even finish this edge.
Three ways to finish the neckline
The second method is to topstitch on the right side of the binding, right next to the seamline. This will look good if you can top-stitch straight and evenly.
The third method of finishing is to use a twin needle and top-stitch around the binding, so that one line of stitching is on the binding and the second line is on the garment. Again, this relies on a good eye for straight stitching. The more you do, the better you will get at it.
FYI - Most garment factory workers don't have as much sewing knowledge as the average home sewer. They perform repeated tasks and it is simply the constant repetition that makes them good at their particular job.
Tip: Try using one of the built-in decorative stitches of your machine to finish this neck edge, as Sandra Betzina did on this top.
A decorative stitch on the binding
Picture scanned from No Time to Sew, by Sandra Betzina, published by Rodale Press.
Finally, give your neck edge a light pressing with steam. This will help to block it into shape. Next week, we will add the sleeves, sew the underarm seams, and finish the hems.
Copyright protected, July 2002, by Julie Culshaw
Any sewing questions? I would be happy to try and answer them: you can email me at mail@timmelfabrics.com