NL6735: Latte and Lace

Ethereal geometric lace, some coffee coloured knit and a whole lotta pivot points. Mix them all together and you'll end up with something that looks a bit like this!

I've been wanting to make another version of my loversandhaters tee for what feels like forever now. It's been ages since I've sewn with a knit though, and it really showed! Whilst sewing up a few test pieces I was wondering why it kept jumping stitches and snowballing my bobbin - duh - you need a ball-tipped needle specially for knits, Melanie. Your micro-needle really isn't going to cut the mustard with a knit fabric. This is just proof that if your sewing machine isn't doing what you want it to do, it's most probably your fault. A mechanised inanimate object can only ever perform as well as the person operating knows how. 

I don't have many New Look patterns, but I really like this one. The main reason is that it's got a centreback seam as well as side seams - meaning I can get a good fit around my waist and not have it pulling tight across my bust at the same time. I'm often 2+ sizes bigger at the shoulders and bust than at my waist/hips, and this pattern caters for that wonderfully. As I wasn't sure of how this fabric would fare, I got enough to make a basic tee out of it to test size and stretch first.

The neckline, shoulder seams and back yoke are all seam-reinforced with some bias cut silk organza strips.

I also learnt that twin needles are twice as nice as normal needles - especially when paired with some wooly nylon in your bobbin! Using a twin needle for stretch fabrics to finish off hems has been on my to-try-list for quite some time - it works wonderfully! I hand basted first so my knit didn't distort all over the place (a walking foot is next on the to-try-list), and it worked beautifully. You don't have to use wooly nylon in your bobbin, but from testing out that and normal thread on some scraps first, the nylon definitely gives you extra stretching room.

That milky-coffee coloured knit is of an unknown composition - I completely forgot to take a picture of the tag when I bought it like I usually do. I've nicknamed it the Charlie Sheen of the fabric world though. It made me mad, behaved like an unruly child, my pins/scissors and my machine all hated working with it and somehow it got lucky enough to co-star alongside that gorgeous Chanel Lace. Instead of dumping it by the wayside like I should have, I just kinda ignored all that, pushed on and despite itself, it ended up being a success against the common sense odds.

With Belle, mere moments after completion at Social Sewing

The Chanel Lace is of course left overs from my Lace-but-not-as-you-know-it Dress. I've had the remnant set aside for this project even since I saw this utterly gorgeous blouse on Pinterest...

The Stats:
01:50  Pattern Preparation (tracing/draft changes)
01:10  Toile (cutting/sewing/fitting)
00:40  Fabric Preparation (cutting/interfacing)
11:10  Sewing
14:50  hours

Fabric Utilisation = 1.6m
Stash total now = 79.8m (Goal = 50m)