Hi everyone,

I want to make a casual top out of a tee shirt material but don't have a serger.

Facings aren't appropriate so I'd thought of just turning under the seam allowance at the neck and sleeve edges and top stitching.

If anyone has done this or has a better explanation I'd be grateful to hear.

Teresa in Greece

Hi Teresa, most knits don't ravel or fray, so you can just turn under and topstitch as you suggested.

Otherwise you can carefully zig zag over the edges, or do an almost straight zig zag (2 x 2 or similar width and length) near the edges.

Learnt in class years ago to do some of the seams by cutting them around 12mm (1/2inch)wide
and pressing flat.

Hope this Helps, and comes in time (On Digest and out all day.

Helen.

Teresa,
Another option that you can do when you turn under the facings and hems is to use a twin needle. A twin needle gives you a zigzag on the back where the bobbin goes back and forth, thus giving you a seam finish.

Most knits don't ravel, but they will curl.
You can use a 4mm for a nice, RTW look. Sometimes I use a 6mm needle, but not all machines can handle that. Also loosen your tension just ever so slightly and lengthen your stitch to about 3mm to 3.5mm. And if you get skipped stitches, reinforce it by putting paper underneath and tearing if off carefully afterwards.
HTH,
Linda

You can remove the seam allowance and bind the neck with self fabric/ or contrasting knit binding. That would be a better finish than trying to turn under the seam allowance.

Purchased ribbing can be applied with a stretch stitch or very narrow zig zag, then top stitched on the outside below the neckline seam to keep it from rolling.

If the neck is large enough that it doesn't have to stretch to get it over your head, consider cutting a contrasting print or solid binding of woven fabric cut on the bias.

quote:

Originally posted by teresa pople:
Hi everyone,

I want to make a casual top out of a tee shirt material but don't have a serger.

Facings aren't appropriate so I'd thought of just turning under the seam allowance at the neck and sleeve edges and top stitching.

If anyone has done this or has a better explanation I'd be grateful to hear.

Teresa in Greece

Teresa, you could finish the edges with a self fabric binding. Cut you binding about 2" wide on the cross grain of your knit (this usually has the most stretch). Of course the neckline must large enough to get over your head or have a placket of some kind to get it on. When you sew the binding to the neckline stretch it just until it starts to "cup" or roll in on itself, this makes the outside edge smaller than the seamline. I usually use a 1/4" seam allowance. Then turn it to the inside and pinning on the right side keeping the fold of the binding even with the edge of the seam allowance and stitch in the ditch from the right side. Trim the excess turn over fabric close to the stitched in the ditch line. The sleeve edges can be done the same way or turned under and stitched with a double needle (top tension loosened) to give the sleeve edge some stretch.

Note: you cut the neckline without seam allowances.

Hi teresa,
Kwik SEw has a lot of good info on this. I used to stretch my seams slightly as I stitched them & then trimmed to 1/4 in. & sew with a zigzag stitch. the sleeves: turn up the hem & stitch with a double needle (it has some give). Neck: self binding; stay stitc h neck edge, trim to 1/4 inch, cut self fabric about 2/3-3/4 the length of the neck edge & 1 inch wide. Sew trim ends (make a circle) mark trim & neck in 1/4 (like for elastic) matching marks lay right side of trim to right side of neck with raw edges together & sew. Fold trim to inside (your raw edge should extend 1/4 in. past the previous seam) & sew. You can stitch in the ditch or topstitch.

Does that help?

Threads magazine online has an excellent article, "Not Your Ordinary T-Shirt." Scroll down to construction tips, you need not use a serger for finishing. Here's the link:
http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00161.asp
~ Diane

A warning to anyone following the topic of Twin Needling. I own a Janome 5024 and the Schmetz brand needles that are sold by my Dealer do not work at all well in my machine no matter what I do - Turns out the Shanks or total needle length are a couple of mm longer than standard Janome needles is this instance (using calipers). By getting DH to grind them down a bit at the shank end the problem appears to be solved. Unfortunately by the time he gets around to doing all of them I will have forgotten what needs doing....

ON ANOTHER NOTE: Someone in one of my groups recently said if the bottom tension is still too tight with twin-needles to not feed the bobbin thread through the tension spring. (Have not tried this).
Helen.

quote:

Originally posted by LindaF:
Teresa,
Another option that you can do when you turn under the facings and hems is to use a twin needle. A twin needle gives you a zigzag on the back where the bobbin goes back and forth, thus giving you a seam finish.

Most knits don't ravel, but they will curl.
You can use a 4mm for a nice, RTW look. Sometimes I use a 6mm needle, but not all machines can handle that. Also loosen your tension just ever so slightly and lengthen your stitch to about 3mm to 3.5mm. And if you get skipped stitches, reinforce it by putting paper underneath and tearing if off carefully afterwards.
HTH,
Linda

Thanks to everyone for all of the advice and instructions.

I've now got to find the material. Sounds easy doesn't it but when I went to the material shop here, they only had a choice of one !!. I bought some, although I didn't really like it because I can make a couple of test garments which I can wear around the house. I'll order some nicer material on line.

happy sewing, Teresa

Helen M wrote:
(A warning to anyone following the topic of Twin Needling. I own a Janome 5024 and the Schmetz brand needles that are sold by my Dealer do not work at all well in my machine no matter what I do - Turns out the Shanks or total needle length are a couple of mm longer than standard Janome needles is this instance (using calipers). By getting DH to grind them down )

Helen, het your dealer to readjust your Janome machine to take the Schmetz needles. You won't be able to use the Janome needle again until it is readjusted again though.
Easier & better than grinding doen your needles!
Tris

quote:

Originally posted by ttcreations:

Helen, het your dealer to readjust your Janome machine to take the Schmetz needles. You won't be able to use the Janome needle again until it is readjusted again though.
Easier & better than grinding doen your needles!
Tris

I know nothing about janome, so I can't comment on this, but it would be cool if he could do that. I am going back in my memory bank a ways, but I remember something about Singer needles being a different length than other needles, now whether they are longer or shorter I don't remember. But maybe if they are the same size you need for Janome you can use those. Here in the states they still carry both brands at JoAnn. I don't know if you can get them where you live.
HTH,
Linda Flint

Thanks to Tris and Linda for your suggestions.

Tris, for the very few times I would use the fancier (for me) Schmetz needles, it is far easier to grind down the specialized needles
than to lug the Sewing Machine to the Dealer for an adjustment. Luckily I don't have as much need for several of the needle sets now as I have added a Coverstitch machine to my setup.

Linda, Janome Dealers are my closest and easiest Option.
I will research the Singer needles, but again it depends on whether they make the winged etc needles for the little bit of "Interesting effect" work I have plans for doing.

I truly am envious of the things you can get so readily in the USA. When money is not too big an issue, I often browse sites like Clothildes and Nancy's Notions for things that simply aren't available here, or listed as available in certain sewing magazines, but you have to threaten the distributor with torturers tongs to find out an actual source who sells retail (then have a heart attack at the prices, bide your time and import them yourself through a lovely Co-Op. like Ressy's and Lizzs.. and still come out ahead.

I am frequently not joking when I tell someone that the most expensive part of a garment I just made is the Machine Needles and the threads....

Helen in Sth Aust.