Friday, March 9, 2012

The Sleep Tee


The Bernina got a break this time as my new sleep tee was sewn entirely on the serger and coverstitch. I didn’t time it, but it sure felt like I’d spent more time changing out the threads and needles than actually sewing.

The usual t-shirt things happened:

  • Clear elastic sewn into the shoulder seams
  • ¼” serged seams
  • Coverstitch neck binding
  • 1” coverstitch hems
Though not glamorous or exciting, this oversized tee it is exactly what I want for a sleep garment. Nope, there are no snaps, buttons, zippers or elastic and it is big enough to be comfortable yet not too loose where I end up tangled in excess fabric.
 
Thanks goes to the clearance section of Hancock’s for this cotton knit fabric. I washed and dried it twice using hot water and the highest heat setting. The fabric became much softer and I’m hoping that the high temps took care of any future shrinkage.
 
The side seams are fairly straight and the tee certainly isn’t tapered, so I don’t know why (and frankly, I don’t care) it appears to be on the dress form.

I think this no-brainer project would adapt very well to assembly-line sewing. Well, as long as the thread color remained the same.
 
Next? Well, winter and long sleeves are over, but still I want to work with variations of my shirt pattern, though it makes sense to produce quick t-shirts and elastic waist Capri’s. So, your guess is as good as mine!