Sunday, April 2, 2017

Pullover woven shirt gets one last detail or two

The pullover shirt continues. 

In playing around with the basic shirt, I did change the neckline.
 I needed more opening to accommodate the bad right shoulder/ get the shirt on and off over my head. 


It splits to the side.


The whole neckline is finished with bias trim, down that split opening and around.
It overlaps enough for modesty's sake. 

Did you know there are five different yellows in bias tape right now?

Opens enough to give me the stretchable space to pull this off over my head with little struggle.

The lengths I will go to in avoiding buttonholes...

 The process is a little easier to see in the second fabric version
I staystitched around the neck and down to where I'm cutting (also securing the facing, love a 2fer)

Clippin'

Bias binding around the collar and the placket


I sew over pins. I work on costumes for youth groups. I live on the edge, baby!
And I wear glasses, so eye protection!

I forced that bulge at the corner; a slight wearability fudge for gap prevention. One I did not need to do with this version.

The difference between the first blue edition and this gold dot edition is the staystiching I did around the collar. Because I had some stretching and distortion the first go-round, I made sure that I faced and stay-stitched the collar opening as soon as possible, while the work was still flat on the table. 
Yes, I have been sewing for about fifty years, but I have been a sloppy one for about forty of those. And most of the fabrics I have used have let me get away without such niceties.

Not the upholstery fabric jeans.

You see that bulge below the yoke on the left side? That is a result of the crotch seam stretching out on that piece almost two inches from being handled and not staystitched. I cut the seam back and the interior stretched out fabric had to go somewhere. 

That bulge didn't show up until I put the pants on and took this photo.

I cried.

So staystitch already!

On reflection, I think I want a facing behind the opening (sewn to the upper flap from behind) because I really am about as modest as you can imagine)


I could have hand stitched it, but I'll be honest: I am an uneven hand stitcher. I would rather have the tiny errors with a machine than the overall uneven effects of my handwork.


I made a covered button and a tiny bias tube for a loop.

I did make enough bias trim to hem the whole gold version; it's a reversible woven dot shirting I got at District Fabrics. Where all the good things come from!

Okay so this one goes the other way


The print asked me for two tone button stacks. This is where the big jars of buttons come in handy.

Many auditioned, few were chosen.
The bias tape is pretty stiff and unforgiving on that corner turn. Needs work with a screaming hot iron. Or just cover it with the button.
This was the first version, back off!

And no, I'm not modeling it for you until I remove that unfortunate bias trim that slices me in two in a really unfortunate spot.


The other thing I did relates to the widening I did towards the bottom of the 3/4ths sleeve.
This is the version with a contrast bias hem. My hand is not that color. Really.

It made it easier to take on/off, but felt too open at the hem
So I folded it over a little and stitched it


It hits just below the elbow and looks pretty good. And allows me to use the selvage at the sleeve hem (from the nifty wax print I got two yards of at Seattle Art Museum's gift shop).

Finally, some successful sewing! Now let's go make more horrible mistakes!
With a raincoat!

2 comments:

  1. I like that neckline, good call...and I would never have thought of stacking buttons you genius you! Time to browse my button box...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Openings and fastenings are the bane of my life - so hard to get right. This solution is ingenious. Well done - also the contrasting binding is a nice feature.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading! I love your comments, I love your ideas, I love your recipes, but if you post links to advertising, I will delete your comment.