I’d made the cowl version of this shirt previously and really liked it. Opportunities to wear it aren’t frequent, though, since the cowl is really exaggerated — fun, but not too practical for every day. I love the lines of this shirt, though, so I decided to make the scoop neck version.
Putting this one together couldn’t be simpler (or faster!). It’s got princess seams front and back, sleeves, and that’s about it. And a nice, trim look when you’re done:
My hem doesn’t look all that great though. I used an adhesive, iron-on tape to support it and keep it from stretching, but the results aren’t exactly what I want (though the look did improve with washing — after this photo was taken — for unknown reasons).
Love those lines! This is one of those maligned, widely-available cotton knits (I’ve got a lot in my stash for some reason), but they sew up beautifully — except for that hem problem. I need to do more work on this.
I’m getting very fond of this particular utility stitch on my Pfaff. I love the way it finishes the seams, and keeps them smooth — much nicer than the little ridge trimming the seam leaves:
Vogue has you finish the neck using bias tape, trimming the seam allowance, and turning the tape to the inside. Instead, I finished the neckline using a self-fabric band, turning it once over the seam allowance, and then “stitching in the ditch”. It worked really well, and gave a clean, neat look to the neckline:
That made my neckline 5/8ths of an inch higher than Vogue’s, of course, but it’s just right on me.
This top is a great alternative to the sloppy tee we’re all tempted to wear around the house. It’s super comfortable, easy to wear and care for, and so good looking! Even better, it whips up in no time at all. I’m sure I’ll be making more of these.
Hi, Barbara — Thanks for your note! I actually didn’t use a serger for the seams. I might have, but I knew that I would be using the decorative topstitching, so the serging seemed redundant, since I expected my seams to lie flat and not ravel.
The topstitching is just a random one chosen from my machine’s offerings. Well, not really random; I tried out a bunch of options first. I wanted whatever I chose to keep the seam flat, so that was an important parameter.
Good luck with your top! I love this style, too.
noile, your princess seam top is a very flattering style. Can you tell me, with the princess seams, did you use a serger and then topstitch with a particular stitch, I would really appreciate knowing. I love your blog and pattern reviews, they are so helpful to me.
Thanks, Barbara
Hi, Laura – your tops look great! I’m gathering up the strength to wrestle with my hem demons; I’m going to put aside some time to figure out how to do knit hems neatly by machine if it kills me. (Though I admit I’ve done a few hand-stitched ones in the past, too. They’re very cool in their own way; I just am not yet ready to admit defeat.)
I’ve really enjoyed this particular pattern; I’ve made both the scoop neck versions and (more recently) the V-neck, sleeveless version. I’ve been working with lots of knits recently, and I’ve found the only way to get a smooth hem is to just sew it by hand. I got great results with the hand-sewn hem I did on the V-neck version. If you’d like to see it, it’s on my sewing blog: (singingseamstress.blogspot.com)
It is a gigantic pain to have to hem by hand, but I haven’t found a machine stitch I like.
By the way, I really like your modified neckline on that scoopneck top. It’s very clean. I think this entire pattern (all views) are so practical!
Peggy, I’m beginning to think that if I find a cure for those hems, it’ll be worthy of a Nobel prize! There’s just got to be a way . . .
It doesn’t seem fair that knits are so fantastic to wear, but sometimes such a pain to sew. I’m with you, Dana — not much luck here, lately, too!
Looks really nice – love that color! I’ve made the other view twice and really like it. May have to try the the scoop-necked version…although I haven’t been having much luck with knits lately, lol.
I love this top…I have that problem with hems on knits also so if you find a cure please post it on patternreview. Thanks so much