I suppose I should have spent some time in the garden today. It wasn't raining this afternoon and it was above 40 degrees F (barely!) but I was playing with the knits again:

This could be very addictive...
One of my other projects for the day was a t-shirt. I'm not
quite sure why I've stubbornly continued to make t-shirts. They aren't
expensive to buy, especially at a consignment shop. I think more than
anything it's just been wanting to know that I can make a shirt that I
like and feel good about wearing.
I've been spending some time thinking about what I've learned from all the t-shirts that I've made and decided to share in hopes that it helps someone along.
The final piece of the puzzle that I was missing: the directions for attaching binding to the neckline as given in Alabama Studio Style and
the knowledge that I didn't have to hem the bottom or the sleeves were
the final pieces of knowledge that I needed to make a t-shirt that I
love.
If I were going to hem the sleeves and bottom of the shirt I would do so by hand. The results are always so much better for me. I suspect it has something to do with tension.
Here are the the things that I think are important to
consider that don't always appear in directions:
*Don't be
tempted to make a t-shirt larger than what is needed. T-shirts will
stretch as they are worn so if it's large to begin with, it's going to
be even larger at some point.
*If the
pattern gives you a choice of necklines, go with the highest one. The
neckline will always be lower once the t-shirt is on the body. That and
it is much easier to cut a new neckline that is lower than it is to
make the neckline higher again.
*The better the fabric, the better the results.
*A lot of directions will say to not pull on knits as you sew or cut. What they don't
always say is that also means to not let the fabric hang off the edge
of the table as you cut or over the side of your sewing machine as you
stitch.
Two things that I find that makes sewing in general easier:
I use
pattern weights for cutting my patterns (an old tin full of pennies and a
glass insulator) and I don't pin pattern pieces together before I sew.
I stop a lot as I stitch a seam and make sure things are lining up
correctly. With knits stopping often is also necessary to unroll the
fabric edge.
And what works for me:
I almost
always do the seams with a straight stitch at first. That way if I've
assembled my pieces wrong (which often happens if I sew after about 3
PM), it's much easier to pick out the seam. Once I'm sure the seam is
where I want it, I go back and sew a zig-zag or overlock stitch.
*And practice, it takes practice...
Now I think it's time to play with some reverse applique for cuffs on a t-shirt...