Summer is a great time to start sewing with knits. Kristine recently did a "Chanified" version of our Endless Summer Tunic. For those of you who are not familiar with Alabama Chanin, it is 100% hand stitched clothing that we at Verb love! We coined the term "Chanified" and use it when talking about clothing that we have made out of patterns outside the repertoire of Alabama Chanin patterns, though still employing the Alabama Chanin style: the use of their organic cotton jersey in addition to their technique of hand-sewn garment construction with embroidered details.
Kristine started with white medium weight white jersey and dipped it in the indigo vat and then sewed it up by hand. She used flat felled seams for the center front, center back and the side seams, she left the v-neck and the hem raw so that they curl under a little, she hand dyed the floss she used to sew the tunic and she resist-dyed the yoke lining so there is a fancy surprise on the inside! Kristine also decided to take the bias edging all the way around the arm opening and the neckline of the yoke instead of sewing it up with the seam allowances inside. This is a great option and adds lovely detail to the garment.
Kristine usually wears the 39" bust size in our pattern, but for the jersey she dropped down to a 37" bust because of the extra stretch the knit provides. The tunic came out looking really lovely and I'm exited to see people playing with the pattern!
With a few things taken into consideration, I think the pattern translates well to a knit. Kristine left off the pockets, which I think was smart. Here at Verb we are all big fans of pockets and the Alabama jersey is probably sturdy enough to support having them, however I would put some reinforcement in the side seam if you are going to try it. If you are thinking of doing the pattern as written and working on a sewing machine (as opposed to a serger) special care should be taken with grading your seams. Specifically on the inside of the yoke. Knits can oft times be more bulky than woven fabrics and so taking care to trim internal seams will make your finished garment look much more professional.
Other ideas for fun projects from knits include the new Colette patterns Mabel and Moneta, some lightweight leggings or knocking off your favorite summer tank from last year in a new fabric! We plan on making some of the above in the next few weeks as our participation in Me-Made-May 2014.
For our First Friday Fabric Sale this month we are offering 20% off all knit fabric! We wanted to continue to celebrate our selection of Alabama Chanin 100% organic cotton jersey, our new Liberty of London knits, and the lovely selection of printed summer knits we have.
Happy Sewing!
Tasa