Since we’ve been talking about the Lark Tee for the last couple of weeks, I thought you’d appreciate a few more t-shirt sewing tips. Fortunately, I already have this written and it’s on the Coats and Clark Sewing Secrets blog!
DIY T-Shirt Sewing Tips + The Winner
First things first! Christianne is the winner of the Grainline Studio PDF Lark Tee Pattern!! Hurray and congratulations, Christianne!! We’ll get this to you soon. And a huge THANK YOU to Jen of Grainline Studio for sponsoring the giveaway!!
Now onto the hints! I wrote a post of DIY T-Shirt Sewing Tips for Coats and Clark a few weeks ago and it’s stuffed with great hints. Click here to read it.
I included lots of basics from my years and years of t-shirt sewing and I think you’ll find it helpful. Might be a good one to file for future reference or print and put with your t-shirt pattern! If you haven’t sewn with knits before, a t-shirt is a great place to start. So, if you’re a knit newbie, don’t be afraid to dive in. Just for you, I’m adding a few more tips below!
Curing Jersey Curliness
If you’re having trouble with the curliness of jersey knit cut edges, there are a few easy solutions.
- Use Washaway Wonder Tape to pre-fuse your seams together and tame that curl. If you’re not familiar with WWT or can’t find it locally, click here.
- Use a glue stick. Yep, just a regular water-soluble glue stick. It will wash out!
Pro Tip: Anytime you use an adhesive on your fabric, use it sparingly. That will help keep it from getting all over your needle and in your machine. Just a dot here and there along the seam allowances will do! - Pin like crazy!! Just sew a little more slowly and be sure you take out the pins as you come to them.
Pro Tip: Don’t sew over pins – ever! The danger is not just denting the pin or breaking your needle or even putting a hole in your fabric. Those are bad enough, but the real danger is throwing off the tension of your sewing machine. Or getting a piece of pin stuck down in the machinery under the feed dogs. Ask me how I know what a nightmare these can be!
Matching Stripes
In the Coats post, I give a hint for matching stripes by using a full front and back pattern piece. This will work for wovens, too, so file that in your box of sewing tricks. I did not have a picture for the Coats post, but you can see above, what I mean. Trace a half pattern, then flip your tracing material over, so you can trace the other half, too. Drawing a line across from underarm to underarm is enormously helpful, too. You’ll also want to create a full sleeve and draw the same line.
Hem With Joy
I mention a couple of hemming tips in the Coats post, but there’s a whole post about it here on The Sewful Life now. Click here to check it out and feel free to share!
The 30 Minute T-Shirt
I’m working on a PDF printable to teach you how I make a t-shirt in 30 minutes or less! It will be something you can keep in your sewing spot and I use techniques that anyone can do no matter what your skill level. For years, when my kids were littles, I sewed t-shirts at home for a local designer. I was paid by the piece, so they had to be quick and that’s how I learned my tricks.
Look for this printable sometime in June and I’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready. The people on my email newsletter list will probably hear about it first, so if you haven’t signed up for that yet, click here. It’s another fun way to enjoy more Sewfulness!
I hope you sew your own t-shirt . . . SOON! They really are total fun to make and something you can sew for the whole family. If you haven’t had a chance to look at my Grainline Studio Lark Tee posts, click here for Tee Number Four. You’ll find links for the first three in that post and there are different tips included with each tee. Give it a try and let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear about your experience. And, I’m pretty positive it will be a success! Questions are always welcome, too.
Sew with Joy and Happy Tees to you!
Moment of Further Truth:
This post includes affiliate links and I may receive a small payment if you make a purchase using that link. Thank you if you do! It helps to keep The Sewful Life stitching along and I sincerely appreciate your support. I am not being paid to promote the Lark Tee, I just sincerely think it’s fabulous. All opinions are solely and truly mine and I only gush about things I love!
