Hi,
I made this tshirt for my mom. I have now made this pattern 3 times and I have some changes to this pattern that may help out. It is a nice fitting t-shirt. It is not too tight around the mid section. This shirt is an XL and it is on a M dressform. This is why it looks a bit baggy. Mom would not stay still long enough to get a pic while she was wearing it. Also, the shoulders in this pattern run biggish. The main changes/additions to the pattern directions that I recommend have to do with the neckband.
Pattern Step 2: Oh my gosh! Do not overcast the outeredge unless you like to see it growwwww. We'll fix that in step 6.
Step 4: The zig zag stitch is a much nicer understitch than a straight stitch.
Step 5: Use the 1/4" steam a seam (SAS) on the shoulders. The fabric will play so much nicer when you stitch these parts together.
Step 6: Pin with the non-interfaced side on top....Believe me it is much easier! Also mark the neckband CF and CB as well as the body front and back.
Most important: Press band seam allowances to the body, NOT the neckband. The finished product is much smoother this way. I SAS the seam allowances of the band layers together on the inside so that I can serge them. (Try not to catch the body in the stitching.) Then I top stitch the neck band down. On this tee, I used a zig zag because I think that is cute.
Overall, a nice top!
Knit versions of the same cross front Ottobre pattern. This was my last top. I took it in an extra 1/4 inch on the side seams just through the bodice. I put the neckline in with a 2 inch wide fabric strip as you would a ribbing. The shoulders I bound the edges 1/2 inch deep. The white and pink knit below was my "muslin" for the knit version. It was a bit loose and the ribbing application for the armholes did not lay as nice as I would like. Both bottom bands were not hemmed. I just did not want the added bulk. Thanks for looking!!
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I am on a mission to make some cool and comfortable tops for the Texas heat. I pulled out an old Ottobre magazine and decided to try this top again. I usually make myself a 38, but this pattern runs tight across the chest and the arms and neck gaped on my first attempt. Maybe, I am just used to sewing knits that are much more forgiving. When copying the pattern, I did not use seam allowances at the neck and arm holes because they were to be bound. On the sides, I used 5/8ths SA because I needed that for the invisible zipper. The rest of the top I used 3/8th SA. I have a link in the upper right side of this blog that goes to a "How to" video of my 3/8th SA ruler. To prevent gaping, I zigzaged dental floss and slightly gathered the front criss cross about mid-chest down to prevent this top from gaping at the bra location. On the armholes, I put a tiny dart at the level of my arm pit. It worked out OK, but I think I may have to rethink the armholes because the dart made a narrow curve and the binding was a bit tricky because of this. Any suggestions would be welcome! Thanks for looking!
This fabric folding is not what the book explained it is something that I made up because my not so nimble brain could not figure out what Twinkle did.
