I made a shirt!!!

[amethyst73]

Here, as promised, are the photos of My Very First Shirt (tm)!  What I learned about how things fit me and sewing in general will come in another post a little later.

Front view.  I has a shirt!


Back view, mostly for my records.


Side view.  Yeah, it could fit better.


The waistline turned out to be way too small when I first put it together.  So I put in these side panels - what a kludge - but they do solve the problem.  Also note the seam on the left was trimmed before I had pinking shears (or a clue that seams need to be finished if you're going to actually wear a garment!)


Flat felled seams are a little messy on the inside.  But it's not like anyone's going to see them, right?  ;)

Comments

[onyoukai.livejournal.com]

Nice job for your first shirt!

I like the fabric. What's the fiber content?

Another way you can finish seams without a serger or zigzag stitch is by using this stuff called Fray Block. It's a thin liquid that seals in fibers so they can't unravel or pull apart anymore. I use it sometimes on areas that aren't really feasible to serge.

One thing about Fray Block is that the directions say to run the tube under running hot water for 3 minutes before use. Ignore it. It's completely unnecessary and will cause WAY more problems. Fray Block is not viscous to begin with, and heating it makes it squirt like CRAZY. It runs, it's out of control, and it gets all over the place. It's just as effective used unheated and straight out of the tube, and it's much easier to control. (But you still want to practice with it first so you get a feel for how little force you need to provide. A little bit goes a long way with this stuff.)

There's a competitor product called Fray Chek. I'm pretty sure Joann sells both. I use Fray Block though because it's the more economical buy. (Fray Chek initially looks like the better deal because you can get 2-for-1 packages, but Fray Block is usually cheaper when you analyze the cost per ounce.)

[ladybird97.livejournal.com]

Awesome! It looks great - I love the color. Congratulations!

[amethyst73.livejournal.com]

It's 100% cotton, so I can throw it in the washing machine without worrying. :) (And yes, I put the fabric through the wash before doing anything else with it.) A friend of mine who quilts says it's quilting fabric; it's one of the bazillions of calico prints that JoAnn's carries. I think it's got a lower thread count than you'd find in most bought garments. But hey, it's pretty!

I'll definitely look into getting some fray-blocking stuff and apply it to the remaining raw seams; I'll pick some up this weekend when I go to check out irons. (My current iron is probably circa 1975, going from its slightly faded turquoise color. I picked it up for ~$5 at a yard sale when we first got married, and noticed immediately that one shouldn't use the steam function, because any water that got put into it came out distinctly rusty, so I've been using a spray bottle to moisten cloth b/f ironing. A couple times that I used it on this project, I noticed a horrible acrid smell, and have decided that I can afford a modern iron!)

[amethyst73.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[taeriel.livejournal.com]

Congrats! This is great! It's fantastic that you were able to successfully add a new panel to adjust things partway through. I also love the fabric print design. Very pretty!

[amethyst73.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's possible that I shouldn't have bought fabric that I was absolutely IN LOVE WITH for my first project, but oh well. :D

[taeriel.livejournal.com]

You can find some gorgeous prints in the quilting fabric section, so I can understand the temptation to make clothing out of them!

[amethyst73.livejournal.com]

Newbie that I am, I didn't realize that I was in the 'wrong' section. Why should one not make clothing out of quilting cloth?

[taeriel.livejournal.com]

I've never been sure on that myself, and have one or two items I made from it as well. I guess maybe it doesn't have quite the same feel as most clothes these days in terms of flow and conformity? It's a little more stiff?