Hooray!

Happy camper, here. I finished my first 6-Pac within the allotted time frame and actually have 6 garments that will go (and some have already been!) into immediate rotation! Two jackets, two tees, a blouse, and a pair of slacks.

The final garment is my tee shown here and finished a few minutes ago.

Sorry for another hanger shot, but I will get some pictures of things on me soon. This one is a pattern you have seen in multiple iterations. It's my Pamela's Perfect Tee, this time with a V neck and 3/4 sleeves. This is my go to pattern for tee shirts as it's the only one I have found with darts, and I believe that voluptuous women NEED darts in their tee shirts so they don't look like a big wall of fabric. Hopefully the geometric print helps too. :P}}

Details:
Kind of a stash fabric, as it's been in the house since January of last year. Perhaps bought for last year's SWAP that got set aside for other more pressing issues.

It's a Marcy Tilton fabric called Square One French Knit. Noted as "French viscose/spandex knit." It was on half price sale, so it's a big win!

I did use a full width front and back for cutting the pattern flat because of the print. Only notions used were fusible tricot on the hems. I have learned the hard way with rayon knits that an inch to an inch and a half piece of fusible tricot at the hem line makes all the difference in the world in the way it looks and holds up after laundering.

Neckline was done using a technique I learned from a Stretch and Sew Pattern years ago that they call French Trim. It is Pattern #326, and the pattern is called "City Tees."

Here's How if you're interested: Cut a piece of fabric with the stretch going the length of the fabric, 2" wide (5.1 cm) by 31 inches long. Place a pin 3 inches from the center back on each side.  Place a pin 3 1/2" from one end of the strip. Match the pin on the strip to the pin at one neck edge, sew the strip around the front neckline with a 1/4" seam, (.6 cm) stretching the trim ONLY just enough that it starts to cup a little bit. When you get to the other side of the back neck with the pin, stop. Trim the strip 1/2" past the center back of the shirt. Miter the corner by placing the ends , right sides together diagonally and stitch from corner to corner. Trim and press open. Stitch the balance of the back seam. Press towards the seam, then leaving the seam allowance as is, fold the strip over the neck edge leaving about a 1/4 to 3/8" seam, and stitch in the ditch to complete. Trim close to the stitching.

I did it slightly different this time by having my strip 2 1/2" wide, and sewing it doubled like you would a normal piece of ribbing. Then I did the rest the same way, leaving the inside of my tee with a nice folded edge instead of the raw edge.

This makes a marvelous self binding without lots of hassle. I will admit that not being a quilter, it took me a long time to figure out the mitering and get it right. I can't tell you how many I did backwards before I finally "got" it. But now I do it perfectly almost every time.

Here's a pic of my completed Winter 6 Pac:

Count me as one happy sewer today! Now on to the SWAP. First garment will be the charcoal denim trousers as I want to wear them next weekend!

More later!