Let's Make a Tee!

My favorite wardrobe staple is the semi-dressy tee.  I am built so bottom heavy that the purchased ones stretch in all the wrong places and just don't flatter at all.  So I started the quest to make a simple tee that I could wear anytime and dress up or down.  My Facebook sewing club friends have asked if I would do a tutorial on making my tees, so here it is.  This top takes a scant 1 1/4 yards.

First is the pattern.  I'm not going to coach you extensively here about fit but this is the pattern I started with:

It wasn't perfect, I'm not narrow shouldered but this particular top was way too wide.  I took some of the width out and made sure my measurements matched the pattern pieces.  One thing I did was redraw the pattern without the dart.  Darts and knits just don't go together, I think.

 For fitting, I recommend Nancy Zieman's book, "Fitting Finesse," or check at your favorite fabric store-there are as many different ways to make patterns fit as there are sewers.

I have fat old lady arms so this is how I adjusted the width of the sleeves.

My redrawn freezer paper pattern pieces.  I have refolded the fabric so both front and back can be cut on the fold.

After refolding the fabric back to normal and cutting out the sleeves, I measure the neckline and cut a crossgrain strip 2 1/4" wide and about as long as the neckline measurement.  Fold lengthwise and press.

Sew one shoulder seam.  I like to sew it on the regular machine first, then take it to the serger.

Then serge.

On the regular machine, starting at the unsewn shoulder seam, start sewing the neckband on the neckline, stretching very gently.  You don't want puckers, but it has to have enough stretch to lay flat against your neck.  Practice makes perfect!

Serge the seam off so it looks neat.  Don't cover the original stitching with the serging, but just get close to it.

Sew the other shoulder seam, then serge.  Make sure the neck seam is pointing toward the body of the top, and when you're done serging leave a little tail on the neck edge, zigzag the tail down to make the neck edge look neat.

Press the neck seam toward the body, then topstitch through the body and seam allowance as close to the edge as you can, no more than 1/8".

Press the stuffing out of it.  This is when you can cover a multitude of sins!  Stretch as you press, smoothing out the wrinkles.

Sew the sleeves in flat, before sewing the side seams.  You can get a much smoother line by doing it this way.  Stretch to ease, always with the sleeve on the bottom so the feed dogs can help with the ease.

Serge side seams, then serge the sleeve and shirt bottoms.

Turn up hems 1 1/4" and pin close to the fold.  Stitch about 1 1/8" from the fold.  I usually use the throat plate on my machine as a guide.  If you don't have anything that would work, stick a bit of tape in a place that looks right.

After stitching, clip threads and turn to the right side.  Topstitch about 1/8" from the first stitching.  Once again, I use the left hand notch on the presser foot as my guide.  Repeat for the sleeves.

Someday I'll have a flatlock hemmer but for now this makes a nice fake finish, plus it's extremely durable.

Press, press, press!  And you have a new top!!

A closeup of the neck topstitching.

The whole project takes less than two hours.  I sometimes do an assembly line and make two or three at a time.  If you want a tank top, skip the sleeves and cut more banding crossgrain.  Ease it in the armholes before you sew the side seams and finish just like the neck.

Crocheted Swiffer Duster Cover Tutorial

Finally, as I have promised for two months, I've finally put together a tutorial for these covers.

Materials & equipment:

4-ply acrylic yarn-about three or four ounces. Use the bargain bin cheap stuff-static is a good thing with these dusters. This is a great stash buster. You can use one color or have a different color for the loopy part and the base part.
Size H crochet hook (gauge isn't important)
Yarn needle

For base, chain 21.

Round 1. Do 3 sc in 2nd chain from hook. Sc across to last chain, 3 sc in last chain. Do not turn.


Rotate work and do 3 sc in the other side of the last chain. Sc down second side and 3 sc in the other side of the first chain you did the 3 sc in. Join to the first chain with a slip stitch.


Round 2. Chain 2 and start dc around, making dc ONLY in the back loop of the stitch, and making 3 dc's in the center sc in the 3 sc in the previous row. This forms the corner. Dc down side to next 3 sc, 3 dc in middle sc. Dc around to next corner, 3 dc in center sc of the 3 sc. Dc to fourth corner and make 3 dc in center sc. Dc across end to ch 2 and join with a slip stitch, making sure that both ends have an equal number of double crochets.


Round 3 & 4. Dc around in the same manner as Round 2, being sure to only catch the back loop of the previous round and that your ends have an equal number of stitches.

Get your Swiffer out and lay your base on it. Mine is the Pledge brand and I don't know if there's a size difference, but if there's a big difference in size, just do one more dc round. It should be somewhat smaller than the Swiffer.

Round 5 . Ch 1, sc around in back loop of previous round. This is forming the sides, so you don't have to turn the corners from here on. Join with sl st to ch 1.

Round 6. Ch 1, sc around in BOTH loops, join with a sl st to ch 1.

Round 7, 8, 9. Ch 1, sc 4, dec. in next two stitches. Repeat around-if your single crochet count is off, its okay, we're just making kind of a sleeve that stays on the Swiffer base. Cut yarn and pull through loop.

It kind of looks like a funky slipper.


Now here's the fun part. Make a slip knot and starting in the center, insert your hook into any of the loop we left when we single crocheted the first round. Attach it with a slip stitch. Chain 4, slip stitch in the next loop. Continue around, and slip stitch in the first loop.

Chain 4, move to the next round and slip stitch in a loop. It doesn't matter which one, just be sure to start in the center round and move out-much easier to keep track of. Where you joined your base rounds with a slip stitch won't have a clear loop, so just pick up any thread-this is for the floor after all, and you can't see it when you're done.

Continue all the way to the last row that has exposed loops. You should have 4 rounds of ch 4 loops.

Cut yarn, pull thread through. With yarn needle bury threads.

Ta daa! You could use this either wet or dry, so far I've only used mine dry and LOVE it!


Note: I have changed the pattern a bit. Check out row 6-there are no decreases. This will be much easier to put on and off the Swiffer.

If you have found my pattern here and have tried it, I would LOVE to have you leave a comment so I can see how it worked for you.

Reusable Swiffer Wet Mop Cover Tutorial

First let me say I HATE housework! Anything I can do to make it go quicker and easier makes me happy. Housework cuts into knitting , sewing and "coffeeing" time. Funny thing, though, the elves don't come while I'm doing the fun stuff so every now and then I have to knuckle down and actually DO something!

This mop cover was born of that need. I like the wet cloths that go on your swiffer, but they have to be changed so often, several times when you do a whole floor, and they dry out in the container. I also can't tolerate some of the cleaners they put in them. My favorite mop is a big old-fashioned string mop, but then we're talking about a bucket, soap and actual work.

So today here is my first tutorial. Have fun with it-sure would like some feedback:

Materials:
Approx 1/4 yard fabric-I used T-shirt material, but I think some kind of knit microfiber would be the best-recycle a shirt or something, if you like. 1/4 yard would give you at least two covers, so they're pretty cheap to make. Be sure it's something you can throw in the washer.
15" piece 1/4" elastic
paper for pattern
pins, safety pin, thread, scissors

Make a rectangle on paper 16" x 8 1/2." Cut out and round the corners.


Pin to fabric-lay out with grain running the length or crosswise, doesn't really matter. Cut out and pin with right sides together.


Stitch around, using about a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave about 1 1/2" from start so you can turn cover.


Turn-you can press it to make it lay nice and flat, but heck, this thing is going to scrub your floor so unless you're giving them as gifts, I wouldn't go too crazy.

Topstitch 3/8" from edge all around-this forms a casing for the elastic.


Using a safety pin, thread elastic through casing. Stitch ends of elastic together.


Pin and topstitch open area closed. You could hand stitch it to make it nice and pretty, but like I said....


Voila'!


Ewwww-it really works!


The only thing that I didn't like was that it didn't slide as smoothly as I wanted, that's why I think the microfiber with a bit of nap might work better. This was new fabric, so even though I pre-washed it, there might still be a bit of fabric finish to make it not very "slidey."