Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Odette, Plain and Simple



I am finally making a completely wearable version of The Sewing Workshop's (TSW) Odette T shirt. It is so basic, so plain, yet so satisfying. I made it a while back out of a cheap ponte and it was not really wearable, so, yes, a muslin.



The fabric is also from TSW, an Eileen Fisher rayon jersey. As of right now, they still have it in stock. It's a great wardrobe builder, just ever so slightly off white. Winter white or off-white are NOT great against my skin tone. Combined with my white hair, it's a great way to disappear completely. I will definitely be wearing something colorful around the neckline!

It really feels more like a good cotton jersey to me. It was fairly easy to cut and sew with some curling. The curling can be annoying along with its tendency to stick to itself. Of course, the latter trait works well when you match up raw edges to sew.



It was also easy to top-stitch which I enjoy doing. I have been sewing a lot with knits of late and so I'm finally comfortable with what works for me:


  • Walking foot
  • Ball point needle
  • Polyester thread
  • Sewing a scrap just ahead of sewing the real seam to avoid having the knit drop down below the stitch plate.
  • 5/8 inch seam allowances until I test the fit, then trimmed to 1/4 inch
  • TSW's fusi-web to hold hems in place while sewing with the walking foot. It's similar to steam-a-seam but lighter, I think.
The Odette requires single layer cutting but I've grown used to this, particularly as I always seem to have less fabric than I really need. In fact, these sleeves are cut bracelet length for that reason.



Everything came together beautifully. It really is a nicely drafted and little funky version of a T shirt.

5 comments:

  1. It looks a very wearable top. Very versatile. The visible stitching lines are nice. I agree with you though, that it needs a bright necklace or scarf at the neck, to give it a bit of oomph! I love your necklace. Very nice.

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  2. Nice muslin. It's weird how some knits stick to themselves (and to the back of pants and skirts!). Irritating to say the least! which is why I sew so much ITY, nice and smooth. Looking forward to your next version.

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  3. I love the style lines in this top. You will definitely look sophosticated wearing it and a statement necklace. Winter white is difficult for greys like us to wear!

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  4. This really looks nice. I hadn't considered this pattern before, but in the cream color, it looks so elegant, yet trendy. Love it! You always make such beautiful things.

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  5. This really looks nice. I hadn't considered this pattern before, but in the cream color, it looks so elegant, yet trendy. Love it! You always make such beautiful things.

    ReplyDelete