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Kwik Sew 2821, night shirt. I could only find this pattern as a PDF, so I had to copy and tape it together. Not my favorite thing to do, but the reviews are good and I like the different neck and sleeve variations.
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On this second version, this time View C, I again used Art Gallery cotton/spandex fabric. It's extremely soft, light to medium weight, 50% four-way stretch, and so comfortable!
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Since I might sew this for others, I traced off all pieces except the bands, which can be folded on the size line. For the V-neck view I only traced down to the shorten/lengthen line. I can fold View B and pin View C to it before cutting the fabric.
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You only need to trace the front and back of View C to the lengthen shorten line, or any line you want to make as long as you mark it on both pieces.
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I pinned the the shorten/lengthen line of View C to the shorten/lengthen line of my previously traced View B.
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Then just folded down the bodice part on View B to get it out of the way. I placed a pin to keep the excess from flopping around.
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The back neckline is higher on View C than View B, so I used the same process for the back piece.
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This fabric curls, and the selvage was particularly troublesome! Before cutting I lined up my grainline and placed pins every so often along the selvedge. This saved me a couple of inches of fabric.
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I'm going to cut the front piece on the fold, and this is what my pinned together pattern piece looks like from the wrong side. Strange, but I don't care because it saved me time, pattern paper, and storage!
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For the back piece, the instructions have you finish the edges of the facing (I serged) and sew right sides together at the neckline. Make sure you do not sew on the shoulders, only the neckline.
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Make sure to press the seam allowance toward the facing and understitch to keep the back neck from rolling outward.
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This fabric is so soft and lofty that my edge stitch foot kept getting buried in it! I had to rip out the stitches and use this clear foot. The little black line rode along the seamline. Worked like a charm!
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If you use personal labels this is the time to sew it on, before the facing gets stitched to the back piece.
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Rather than lace, I used a V-neck band from stretchy cotton interlock. I sewed the V of the band together and basted a line at the fabric V at 3/8" from the edge. Note the markings I made for stitch lines and where to cut to the stitching line.
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I put a "pivot pin" straight through both the V point of the band and the V point of the neckline.
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I sewed with the band on the bottom so I could see what I was doing, and sewed only ONE leg of the band, starting only 2-3 inches up from the V. I sewed to the end of the V and backstitched.
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After the first leg of the band was done, I took the fabric from the machine and pinned the second leg. I sewed it the same as the first. I found this easier than trying to pivot at the point and continuing to sew.
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It looks good so next I will sew the rest of the band on each side of the neckline. This band is only in the front neckline since there is a facing in the back. I barely stretched it because I felt it would lay flat and I didn't want puckers.
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After the band was sewn in, I serged off the seam allowance. When I got to the V, I chained off enough length to wrap it under the blade for the next leg, thus tying off the stitches at the V point. Cool tip! :)
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Here is the front with the finished band after pressing. Unfortunately I can vaguely see the vertical mark I made on the inside from the outside. It's supposed to wash out...I hope so!
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Here is the inside of the band. It's a little sloppy with all those stitches, but no one will see. I'll try a few more V-neck tops and see if I can improve on that!
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Shoulder seam time! The facing (which btw is used in RTW a lot) is flipped to the front for this. You can see I stabilized the shoulder seam (with Knit-N-Stable) and serged my seams.
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After the shoulder seams are done the facing is flipped to the back piece. Press, pin in place, and sew all around the edge of the facing on the side shown here. This is the inside of the night shirt.
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I know this is difficult to see, but this is how the back stitching line looks. It's the bobbin thread that shows, and not the greatest look with a knit, but in person it looks fine.
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Here is my night shirt, all done and it didn't take long at all! I did a tutorial on the sleeve bands when I made View B (blue and green version) so look at that Flickr album for sleeves.
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View C, front view. Size small worked out perfectly for me. I normally wear a medium or sometimes large in RTW because I like plently of ease for sleeping.
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View C, sleeve band. For the first time ever I have omitted the topstitching below the seamline on the neckline and sleeves. If the seam allowances don't stay down I can go back and do it. I'm experimenting!