JoAnn Fabric has these lovely knit fabrics in the juvenile section. They are perfect for T-shirts. I saw this blue print with green lizards and decided I needed it.
The fabric is a 100% cotton summer weight knit. I supposed they figured that this would be perfect for little boys, but why should they have all the fin clothes? I made a shirt sized for myself.
I used Kwik-Sew 3766 for the pattern. It has options for sleeve length and neckline. This shirt was made with the higher neckline and short sleeves. This pattern is one of my patterns that I return to again and again: a solid pattern for a wardrobe staple.
The pattern calls for 1 1/8 yards for a short sleeve shirt. I've found that often isn't quite enough, so I buy 1 1/4 yards of fabric for this shirt. The front and back must be cut before the sleeves, because the fabric has to be folded differently to cut out the sleeves.
Stretch is great in a knit shirt, but not on the should seams. Adding some non-stretchy material, like this hem tape, to the should seams helps the garment to maintain it's shape.
The neckline seam is the hardest one in the whole shirt. The neck band is smaller than the neck hole, so it needs to be stretched evenly all the way around. Using lots of pins to distribute the fullness equally, then stretching the fabric slightly as you sew the seam does the trick.
I've tried a bunch of different way to hem a T-shirt without a serger. The one I like best is to use a knit or stretch stitch to finish the edge of the fabric, then fold up the hem and sew it in place with a straight stitch.
There you have it -- an easy and colorful addition to your wardrobe, perfect for warmer temperatures and more casual summer dressing.
I love the fabric!
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