Tees for Two

Hello, sewing friends! It has been a while since I blogged, which really was unintentional. I made these two Cara tops MONTHS ago, and photographed them shortly after, and then promptly forgot to ever blog them. How embarrassing. Anyway, here they are!

Arrows Tee (Megan Neilsen's Cara maternity top pattern)

After my first edition of the Cara top, my old, inherited overlocker well and truly broke down. It was very iffy during the making of that floral Cara tee, and by the time I had finished I had to admit there was something badly wrong with it.

So, I made my second Cara on my normal sewing machine using a zigzag stitch, my walking foot and a ballpoint needle, and it was absolutely fine! So if you want to make jersey clothing and you don't have an overlocker, do not fear! It is not only possible but very easy and stress-free to sew jersey on a normal sewing machine.

This arrows jersey was from Sew Over It, and I bought it yonks ago, but I think they still have stock of it. It's a really lovely quality & weight, and it sewed up like a dream with no rolling at the edges. Thumbs up from me. It's a 4 way stretch and I wanted the arrows to run horizontally so I cut it on the cross-grain.

Here I am with my body double at the Knitting & Stitching Show a few months ago!

At the Knitting & Stitching show I also bought some lovely duck-print jersey for another tee (or is it goose-print? Not sure), and a new overlocker! Hoorah! I tried LOADS of overlockers out, and as my budget was rather squeezed (our impending arrival is making me more spend-sensible!), I went with the Janome 8002DX. I really couldn't spot any difference in sewing on this one or the next price bracket up, and after all, overlockers all do the same thing, so I snapped it up for around £200.

I have to say I am really chuffed with it. It's such a smooth sew, absolutely no complaints whatsoever.

Anyway, for my next Cara I went with 3/4 length sleeves for the changing weather, and I love this one too. This jersey does roll though so the hem is always rolling up which is a bit annoying.

Goose ducks tee 

These pictures were taken when I was 30 weeks pregnant, and I'm happy to report that there's still plenty of room in them now at 38 weeks! If anything they look better as I've filled them out more. I really have lived in my maternity jeans and Cara tees, so if anyone out there is expecting and wondering which sewing patterns would be useful, I would definitely say the Cara is top of the list!

I'm on maternity leave now, and while I wait for baby to make his or her entrance, I am hoping to get some last bits of sewing done. We shall see!