May has been “Sew Stretchy” Month and I am enjoying sewing these knit tops. This one is Butterick B5645 sewn with a 96% polyester 4% spandex.
I love patterns that give you a few variations.
I have a wild red, white, and black paisley print and a solid black for the sleeves. The pattern is traced out and I am ready to go.
Now you might notice I am using my sewing machine on this polyester spandex knit, not my serger. Actually my sewing machine likes knits better than my serger! I set my machine to a narrow long zig zag, just few steps away from using a long straight stitch, and my fabric loves it. I try not to pull on the material as it feeds through. But you should try it out yourself on a few fabric scraps. See what your machine likes to do.
The shoulder seams have been sewn together with a seam tape on the seams to prevent future stretching. I have sewn single fold bias tape around the neckline and for the first time find that I am going to have to steam the neckline as it is not lying flat. Don’t put your hot iron on the fabric though or it will shrivel up and die! I think I should have pulled the single fold bias tape a bit more and not pulled the knit fabric as much and my neckline would have probably laid flatter. Oh well, probably only something I would notice.
On to the sleeves. Elastic cord is sewed in the middle of the sleeves with a zig zag stitch to gather them up.
The sleeves are hemmed with single fold bias tape. Bah! I cut it too short! Re-do!
The sleeve is pinned on to the armhole of the top. The side seams have not been sewed up yet so it is really easy to sew the sleeves on.
When sewing the sleeves onto the top, you have to make a sharp 90 degree turn at the beginning and at the end. You will see. It will make sense later….
See? Strange way to attach a sleeve, hmm?
But when the top is folded over properly the sharp turn makes perfect sense.
A little hemming under the arm as the sleeve doesn’t actually go all the way under. Side seams are sewn up.
And DONE! Easy as pie!
Wow, I really like the sleeves. Great print too! Looks professional.
Thank you! I love that pattern – looks complicated, but is very easy!
Looks great!!! I really like the shoulder detail!
Thank you!
I love this top, thanks for the link on your newest post I don’t know how I missed this….I’m one of your sewing “groupies’ that read every post you do lol
At any rate yes the sleeves are coolio!! I love this paisley red fabric. Fab top!
Thank you! This is an older make now but I still wear it and love it. The fabric is so cool and the sleeves are so different. I love red and I love the different sleeves! 😀 (and I am your sewing groupie too!)