Knit Layer Shirt

11:18 PM

It feels like it's been a long time since I've added any projects. I've actually been sewing a lot lately. Etsy stuff and finished a project for this blog contest I'm entering.

Next Monday, my project will be auditioning on So You Think Your Crafty. It's a blog craft contest. There will be 30 "auditions" and the 10 projects that get the most votes moves on to the competition and each week the crafters are assigned a theme. Each week one of the top 10 get kicked off if their project recieves the fewest votes.

I've followed the first 2 seasons, and it's quite a fun little thing each Monday morning to see the latest projects and get to vote for them. So we'll see if I even get through the auditions.
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But this post is about this top I just finished. I was really excited in the beginning, then hit a wall in the middle, hated it toward the end, but had to finish it to get it off my mind.

Here's the idea behind it.

The bodice is layered in rows, then I basted them down into the side seam. I think each layer was 5" tall and folded in half.

The top of the front was a cross funnel-type neck.
I did the same layering thing as the bodice, but on the angle of the neckline.

The back piece was just a plain back, like a normal t-shirt, with a high neck. I made a finished neck edge with a strip of the knit from one side, up behind the neck, and around the other side.

I sewed the basic shirt together, and as I had suspected, the layers across the chest kind of folded up.

On the left I pinned it down, and on the left you can see what the fabric does naturally.

So I hand tacked all the chest layers down, re-sewed the seam under the bust.

Then the sleeves. I thought they needed a little more detail than a regular cap sleeve, so I used the petal idea, where the sleeve folds on itself around the top of your arm. That is a bad explanation. Anyway, I was out of fabric, so I lined the sleeves with lining. And they don't lay right. The sleeve curl forward, and the layers across the chest pull funny, I think due to the tacking in the center to limit cleavage. Maybe if I unpicked the center tacking at the cross of the two top pieces, the chest layering would lay nicer.

And I could take off the sleeves and just do a simple cap sleeve.

But the shirt ended up being a little small all around anyway, so all the work to fix it seems like a total waste of time to me at this point, so it may just end up at my mother in laws in the dress up box.

Once again, I think it was a good idea, but along the way turned in a bad direction and I'm too lazy to go back and fix it.

Good thing the fabric was only $2.00.

But it was a really nice knit and a steal, and it's too bad it was wasted on a failure project.

Maybe someone thinner out there with a smaller bust that won't stretch the layers would look good in it. I could always tack the sleeves down so the cream lining doesn't roll forward.

Jessica

Jessica and Lynette are crappy at the blogging side of things, thanks for stopping by anyway!

7 comments

UnknownMarch 25, 2010 at 12:05 AM
I LOVE it!! And what are you talking about...it looks great on you! I must say, pretty sexy!

I think it would help to undo the tacking on the bust, then you can just wear a Cami under it!
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Stephanie KellyMarch 25, 2010 at 2:03 AM
You AMAZE me... green with envy I am!
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LynetteMarch 25, 2010 at 6:48 AM
I love it too! I can see how it might have been frustrating at times, but I like the ideas you had and I think it turned out really good! I love that you can pull off a design in your head...that's awesome!

I'm auditioning for SYTYC too...i'm not sure i'll make it past auditions though...yikes!

Lynette
getyourcrafton.blogspot.com
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SarahMarch 25, 2010 at 10:57 AM
I love it. If you don't want it - I'll buy it from you! ...I just hope it looks as good on me as it does you.
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TrimbleMarch 25, 2010 at 11:10 PM
It's fun! It's kind of hard to tell in the picture but it looked cool with the fabric kind of pulling up (before you sewed it down). Love it the way you did it too.
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AllieMakes!April 11, 2010 at 10:31 PM
Looks good. In my estimation, the "problem" could be solved with a remake. The adjustment would be to make the line of the side front seams (under the armpit to the top of the midrif)- make it arc out. Email me if you would like further instruction. But I hope that helps... If you are still working on it... :)
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JenniferApril 27, 2010 at 6:33 AM
I like the side without pins before tacking down.
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