My "simple" knit top

[dz_blonde_girl]

What a learning experience! Actually it turned out good, it just doesn't fit right. That's the pattern's fault though. It's not long enough and the neck opening is too wide. My neckline hem turned out very well though, even with the twists and turns!

[canadian gardener]

Probably not your fault. The worst knit top I ever made was my first, and I fell in love with this pattern from Simplicity or McCAlls and made it.

What a disaster! It was really wide (too much ease for a knit) and the neckline gaped open. Supposed to be a boat neck, but with all that ease,

finally figured out that the designer may have thought it was for knits, but his or her experiance was in wovens, and not knits.

I had just completed a bunch of very professional looking panties from Kwik Sew so that set me off lookign for more Kwik Sew and the rest is history.

LOL reading it, what I mean by professional panties, is that they looked store bought, not pinstriped! hehehehehh

[dz_blonde_girl]

This is the pattern I used: http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm, look at 7222. The neck was just too wide on me and I must be longer waisted, cause it's not that long. The stitching looked nice. I probably didn't use the best fabric for my first try either. It was VERY stretchy (both ways), kind of thin and very heavy. I don't like things too easy though.

Is there a reason I couldn't do Simplicity pattern 5501 in a double knit? They have some on clearance for $1.99 that is real pretty.

[canadian gardener]

Karen that is VERY like the one I had trouble with about 18 years ago. I know it's a different pattern, but for all intents and purposes the lines are very similar.

What I've noticed about Simplicity is that they allow way too much ease sideways. MORE way more than people need and so that often makes their stuff baggy. BUT just when you think you got them figured out, they do one that isn't.

I also found they were a bit short on me, so it was too wide, and too short.

Not your fault at all.

ABOUT THE DBLE KNIT in #5501 it should be fine. You may need to do a mock up in some scrap fabric (old sheets or even paper) to see the fit on your daughter.

Double knit behaves like a woven, in that it doesn't have a lot of stretch so if you get the fit right it should be ok. But you will need to play with fit.

That pattern, if it is too wide when you make it, make a mock button band in the front by folding a bit over and stitching buttons down it, as if there were button holes, THEN put the skirt on.

You can take a chunk to match out of the back, and stitch together.

Another trick I used (actually to rescue that Tshirt I used a mock button band to narrow the neckline so it wouldn't show my bra straps and this next tip)

is to make a couple of tucks on each shoulder, and stitch them down like pleats. Looks like a fancy design, but it will bring the shoulders back in quite tidily.

The regular pattern companies don't understand knits.

They usually include FAR too much ease width wise, and while lengths vary a bit, they are usually a bit short. Knits grow sideways, seldom lengthways.

Kwik Sew and Stretch and Sew include extra length, and are thinner and better fitting widthwise.

but you CAN adapt.

A good way is to buy up some junky knit stuff at the clearance bin, don't wash or pre treat, just use it to play with as a mock up of any knit pattern, to figure out if you need to go down a size in width,

and add a bit in length.

But when you make one up, that mock button band, and the shoulder pleats can help rescue it.

[SewCrafty]

Karen if the fabric you used was too stretchy, that is why it didn't work. That pattern (7222) is more for stable knits or ones that don't stretch a lot. They will stretch sideways but not lengthwise at all.

At the top of the pattern is usually a "Pick a Knit Rule" Take the edge of the fabric and place it on "0" measure over to the 4" mark without stretching. Holding it at 4" with your fingers see if it will stretch over to the far mark. Then you will know if it has too much or too little stretch for the pattern you want.

You can make the 5501 in knit, but then again it has to be a stable knit that won't stretch much. That way you won't have to make any adjustments to allow for stretch.

Margery's tips for fixing the neck on your top are correct. I had to do the same things many a time. Pain in the neck, but it can be done. Now I buy Kwik Sew patterns for knits and adjust the pattern before I cut them out.

[dz_blonde_girl]

Professional looking panties, lol.

You gals are such a big help! I think shoulder pleats would look pretty good on this top. I'm afraid if I do a mock button band on it it will cause it to become cock-eyed. I wonder if I could add on to the bottom to make it longer. I could maybe cover the seam with some sort of trim and use it around the neck as well so it looks like it belongs there.

Next time, when I want to cut it longer, I add the length in the waist, right? I can cut the neck narrower also by going straight with the shoulders and then into the same of curve around the neck?

[canadian gardener]

Take the pattern for the front, just note on it, that you need to put it 1/2" or whatever over the fold line when you cut. It will take out 1" of width in the body as well as the neckline without interfering in the design. Remember that for every 1/2 inch you overshoot the paper over the fold line, it will be an INCH in the width overall.

You can't do that with other necklines, but a boat neck, you would be safe to come in 1/2" to an inch.

When adding length yes, at the waistline but I generally eyeball it and cut it freehand off the bottom, adding an extra inch or two to the hem. Which I normally do anyways to be on the safe side when sewing.

You can always cut it off later.

Which is also why I'm not kidding (not much) when I say buy more fabric than you need. For shrinkage, extra hem length, different layouts, change your mind, you want view B instead, it's nice to have the freedom that an extra 1/4 yard gives.

Yup, add a band to the bottom for a fix, either in that material, (it may be hard to keep it flat) OR in a contrasting cotton print, and add a little more of the print in a bias strip at the neckline or something.

[dz_blonde_girl]

Originally posted by canadian gardener
Take the pattern for the front, just note on it, that you need to put it 1/2" or whatever over the fold line when you cut. It will take out 1" of width in the body as well as the neckline without interfering in the design. Remember that for every 1/2 inch you overshoot the paper over the fold line, it will be an INCH in the width overall.

Duh, I've done that before. I think I'm going to go ahead and try ALL of your suggestions, what the heck! Either I get something I can wear, or not. I really learned a lot about sewing knit though, it was pretty fun!

[canadian gardener]

LOL it's cheap at the price compared to a lesson with an instructor, even if you threw it away,

and I'm pretty sure you won't, pretty sure you can rescue it.

I try to think of it like this,

(and I regularly blow stuff, mistakes really ARE the priviledge of the active mind-- the learners, the explorers, the ones who try lots of new things, fail at some, and learn WAY more than the ones who are afraid of mistakes and never start anything)

that in the long run, it's way cheaper than a set of lessons, and I learn more by making mistakes and fixing them than I do going to lessons (and I'm not turning my nose up at lessons, because I"ve learnt some amazing stuff in lessons, but it's a different kind of learning, more hands on)

I have to work hard at this thinking because in the past I've often let my inner perfectionist stop me out of fear of mistakes.

[canadian gardener]

Oh and Dee is right, there is a knit gauge on the pattern envelopes, it's a good idea to check it. Sometimes sweatshirt fleece or double knit doesn't have enough stretch and it needs to be treated more like a woven,

while some tshirting is too stretchy for words.

If you want to just plain drool over patterns, I'm going to see if I can relaunch a thread I did last year, when I was a member before. I'll see if I can find it. I was dozymom then I think.

I had one with the links to all the online pattern catalogs and it's like sitting at a virtual pattern counter, with all the catalogs, all the styles in front of you.

I'm off for a moment to see if I can get that for you Karen! It'll be fun.

[dz_blonde_girl]

I remember that thread! I just don't really have any money, so .99 Simplicity patterns and clearance fabric look real good.

[canadian gardener]

I buy them too! I know what you mean. And once you know how they fit, you can pretty much know how to alter them to look professional and nice.

[dz_blonde_girl]

I found some scraps big enough today to try dd's tops out on before I make one out of other fabric!

[canadian gardener]

Right on Karen!

That's another good reason for having little bits of extra fabric floating around.

You can really play with the mock up or first crack at a pattern. It will tell you right away whether it's a good pattern, good fit etc.

You are a pro now!!!!!