Jellyfish Tunic

Today I decided to finally make myself a top with my jellyfish fabric.

I bought this fabric from a custom knit group - Coco Knits.  Their fabric can be purchased at cocoknitsfabrics

Their knits are 95% cotton and 5% spandex with a 200gsm weight. They also have this fabric in a rainbow version. Which I also have and used to make an infinity scarf.

I decided to use Simplicity pattern 1323 and Style B. I already made this top once and was very happy with how it turned out, but wanted to make a few changes to how the next one was sewn together.

First I laid out my fabric and set my pattern pieces.

Then I cut the back pieces.

Can you see that I folded up the bottom? I'm short and it was too long the first time I made it. This pattern doesn't have a way to lengthen or shorten in the torso like most, so I just took a little off the bottom. I then cut the front pieces.

The pattern weights I am using are large metal washers. My aunt made me a set that she covered in ribbon. I needed more, so I made a set and covered them using the selvages of fabric I had used recently.

I then cut the sleeves. I made them about 3/4 length even though I plan to wear this top during the summer with white pants. It is always cold in the office I work in and rather be a little uncomfortable for the short time I'm outside than to be freezing inside at work all day.

The last piece to cut was the neck band. I use my 12"square and rotary cutter to cut this piece on the fold.

The first sewing step is to sew the back pieces together.

I do this, and most of this top with the serger.

Then the front pieces are attached at the shoulders. Before moving to the next step (adding the neck band), I serged the edge of the 2 front pieces. The instructions will tell us to serge them together or sew them after adding the neck band. I like the sewed version better since you can open the seam and tack the sides down at the neck. I found that serging the front seam made it hard to hide - it was too bulky at the top of the neck band. Since I don't like an unfinished edge. I wanted to serge the front edges before I sewed them together.

Then I basted the neck band on. Then I serged it on.

Then I top-stitched the neckband and sewed the front pieces together.

Then I sewed the sides and sewed the sleeves together. Then it was time to attached the sleeves.Since these sleeves have no gathers, I just pinned them at the armpit and at the halfway point. Then I serged them on.

Now I just need to hem.

I debated between cover-stitching the hem or doing a rolled hem. 

I decided to go the easy way out and do a rolled hem. It's a lot of hem to do!

Finished!