How to put on a knit neckband without measuring!

I have been trying to locate a video that describes how to put on a neckband without actually measuring the opening or the band.  Much to my dismay, I can not locate this lovely video. So, I have attempted to recreate how she showed me ages ago how to do this.  It is a super quick method and my neckbands always come out hugging the neck.  It is way easier than measuring everything under the sun, subtracting a percentage, sewing it in the round and then pinning it in fourths.  That just exhausts me, saying all of that.  I am only a patient sewer if the tediousness produces really good results.  Here is the video and the final steps, I will show you in the pictures.  I am not much of a video person and my daughter (camera woman) is cheap help (ha)...bear with me. Tip:  Click on the pics for a close up.
VIDEO

The video ends when I have the neckband pinned. This pic is the sewn neckband. I sewed the neckband together at the ends and to the opening with a 3/8th width seam allowance. You can use a lightening stitch (tiny zig zag) to attach it.  I used a regular straight stitch. I do not usually have popped seams for some reason. I stretched the band to fit the neck opening between pins making sure to match the edges up well.

Here is a close up of the tiny dart I used to make the v neck.  If the dart is too bulky, just cut it on the fold so that it lays flat when pressed.

I cleaned up the edges with a serger (optional step).

Pressed, but do not leave it this way.  The seam allowances need to be sewn down.

I sewed the seam allowance down with a zig zag stitch. A double needle stitch, a cover stitch or another decorative stitch works well too. No gaping!

Shoulder is well hugged!

Back of neck is also well hugged!

((Sewing hugs from me to you!))

Kwik Sew 3120

I am just messing around with a Kwik Sew pattern (3120).  I can't decide if I like all of these ruffles or not.  After I gathered 1 inch wide strips of knit, I applied them in 3 rows with a zigzag stitch. Before I pressed them with a steam iron, they were way too fluffy for me.  My 15 yo daughter says that this is a cute top but it reminds here of a clown ruff.  I am thinking that is a weanie bit rough for a reasonably cute top.     I used the June Tailor Shape Cut to make the strips. You can slide this strip cutter across the length of fabric and make a variety of strip sizes.  It is a whole lot morestable to use than a ruler and rotary cutter.                                                                                        

Burda WOF 6-2011 from Burda Style website

I really like this top. I downloaded it for $5.40 from Burda Style. It went together really easy.  I had some "scratching my head" moments when it came to this neckline.  I swear, if Burda would use some good old fashioned cooking/food terms when describing how to do something in their directions, life would be good.  If you have sewed the Sunshine top from Hot Patterns or Kwik Sew 3617, you will get how to do this.  Below, I'll try to shed some light on this neckband.

My mannequin has broader shoulders and one more inch in the bust than I do.  She was the closest I could find without wrapping myself with ductape to get more of a likeness. I'm sure that is a good thing to do, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

Not the best pic of me, but the shirt details were good.

Pattern information and changes:

This is a pattern that calls for woven fabric with a strip of jersey for the neck edge. I made the whole thing in mid-weight drapey cotton jersey (Super Textiles in Dallas) to see what I would get. I sewed a size 38 with absolutely no fitting adjustments except to shorten it by 2 inches (I am 5 ft 3in.).  The shirt on the model has normal size shoulders and the sleeve shoulders are meant to ride an inch or so smaller.  I have no shoulders to speak of, so this top fits my shoulders the way a normal shirt would. When I make this again, I am going to try to make the next one look more like the model's shoulder fit.

Neckband:

It has an outer band and an inner band (same pattern piece) that sandwiches a strip of jersey like a piping. The instructions do not call for interfacing, but I interfaced the outerband. Sew the 2 separate neckbands together at the shoulders, then lay the non-curled edge of the strip of jersey face down (make into a loop first if you want) to the top edge of the outside facing neckband and sew it down. No stretching is needed.  When you turn the right sides out (with the wrong sides together), the jersey strip will stick up like a piping. I had a beautifully curled selvage that I used.  Attach the front facing neckband to the neck edge opening of the shirt body, press seam allowances to the neckband, then on the outside stitch in the ditch or top stitch the neckband edge.  I use steam a seam to tack the inside neckband down so that stitching in the ditch is easier.

Gathering at the neck and sleeves:  I always zigzag over dental floss about 1/4 inch away from the edge.  The wax on the dental floss gives a little drag to the fabric which keeps the gathering together nicely.

Likes:  When I copied this from Burda Style, the pieces matched up like a dream.  I added 3/8ths seam allowances to all of the pattern pieces except the strips for the sleeves because the SA was already included.  Also, it was a binding and the included 5/8ths SA was not a bother.  I also love the fact that the instructions tell you the inches/centimeters that the gathering section must reduce to. I have always had an issue with "gather between the large circles."  I mean really?? How much do you need to gather this area....Thank YOU Burda! 

This was  my muslin.  I think a bright floral print or a black cotton gauze would be really nice in this pattern.  Thanks for looking!!

Claire

Ottobre Woman 2-2011 Trento top

I really like this pattern! Mostly because it was very flattering without a lot of work.  The links to the tissue fitting are on my pattern review.  Marcy Tilton has a super quick method of doing  a FBA on knits. I use a 3/8ths inch SA on all my knits because it fits under the presser foot perfectly and I like to to trim a little when I use my serger. 

I bound the neckline after I cut my SA off. Before I started, I fused a 1/2 inch knit interfacing strip I bought from SewKeys around the neckline. I used their straight stay tape (fusible) on the shoulders instead of the elastic that was recommended. I forgot to dart out some of the fabric around the armhole like Marcy Tilton does so I made the same dart in the fabric and fixed my pattern for next time. Steam a seam (1/4 inch lite) really helps hold the back of the bound neckband down on the inside before you stitch in the ditch and it never gums up my needle. I put in sleeves on thin knits with it too because it makes the armhole so precise and adds just a little stability to the fabric. Oh! I did not bind the sleeves like they recommended. I just hemmed with my coverstitch. This fabric was almost too thin for my coverstitch machine. I would have done better with a strip of interfacing and a twin needle finish.

This may have become my TNT. I can't be for sure until I try this neckline with a ribbing finish.  Gotta run, kids are getting impatient!

Ottobre 2/2008 Cross front 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!!

,

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!

Twinkle Sews: Love in the Afternoon

This pattern is from the book Twinkle Sews. I have no idea why I have made something called Love in the Afternoon for my 15 yo daughter.

This picture is of my "muslin".  My dd does not like pink and boy do I have alot of pink fabric from when she did love pink.  The dark pink is a denim and it is too heavy of a fabric for this pattern.

I eventually cut about 10 inches off the length because dd prefered this as a tunic instead of a dress.

 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.

This is the non-muslin.  I did not make this two layers like the pattern calls for because it is not possible to wear this top with any modesty without a cami underneath. So one layer is plenty with a cami and being in Texas. In fact, for more breezy comfort, Niki Biki makes a bandeau cami that is perfect under tops in the summers.

I wish this was not blurry because the origami is really cute the second time around.

She adores this top and wears it all of the time.

Kwik Sew 3617

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!