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Sew! Lets Get Dressed – Cozy Knits

photo magenta top with scarf
Cozy brushed knit tunic with optional scarf.

As I promised last week, I took a break from my French jacket to make a cozy knit tunic.  The weather in Baltimore has been very cold and the magenta print brushed knit on the shelf was calling my name.  I even had a stretch trim to finish the neck and sleeve edges.  Both the fabric and the trim had been pre- washed, so on Saturday morning I cut out and marked the top with my Tabula Rasa Knit Tunic pattern, threaded up the machines with purple thread, and fused a strip of soft tricot interfacing to the back shoulders.

After lunch I returned to the studio and stitched up the top.  The fabric was so soft and stretchy that when I tested the fit, it seemed a little over-sized in the front and back armhole.  I made a couple of adjustments to narrow the armhole area in the front and back before finalizing the serging and finishing the edges.   I wore it to dinner that night, but on the trip home I was wishing for a bit more warmth at the neck.

photo purple knit ready to sew
Folded fabric, pinned and ready to sew.
photo purple knit tube
Fabric tube, ready to be connected.
photo closing scarf
Stitching the scarf closed.

 

Remembering that there was a strip of fabric left over, I went back to the studio Sunday to cut out an infinity scarf.  I cut a piece 13 1/2″ by the full 60″ width.  I tested the length by wrapping it twice around my neck.  I decided to trim off 4” to achieve a length of 56”.

I folded the fabric in half lengthwise,right sides together, and pinned it together.  After stitching the 54″ long tube on the machine, I turned it right side out and pressed the seam flat.

Pinning the two ends together to complete the loop requires some acrobatics.  Join the ends right sides together and pin around the circle. In a stretchy fabric it is possible to sew all but about 2” as you join the ends of the tube together.  Turn the scarf through that opening right side out, press the seam and hand stitch the opening closed.

 

photo purple knit with scarf
The top with its scarf. Looks a bit like a collar.

 

 

 

The finished scarf gives the top an even cozier look and this alternate look will surely keep my neck warm on a cold night.

 

photo cream sweater with scarf
Cream sweater with scarf.

In the fall, I made a similar scarf using the left over cream knit fabrics used in “the sweater of my dreams”.  Because of the thickness of the fabrics and the size of my left over chunks, it is only long enough for one circle.  I cut a piece of each fabric 7” by 30”, stitched them together along each 30″ edge, turned and pressed them into a tube. Before I joined the two ends, I rotated one end of the tube ½ turn to create a twisted loop. ( The pointelle knit ends matched to the cable knit ends on each side of the scarf)  It allows both fabrics to share the spotlight.

photo of cream scarf
A close up of the twisted scarf.

What warm and cozy garments are you stitching?  Or if you live in warmer climates, what is on your sewing table?  Is the newest issue of Sew News on your bedside table?  My first Fitting FAQ article is there and it is on fitting knits.  Hope you enjoy reading it!

Happy Sewing – RAE

3 thoughts on “Sew! Lets Get Dressed – Cozy Knits

  1. Beautiful knit tunics! I really like your idea of making a scarf to match the top. So many times I am looking for just the right scarf and this will definitely work very well. Thanks!

  2. Glad to hear you are inspired! Please let us know how yours comes out or send us photo.

  3. Beautiful top! I have a suggestion on the infinity scarf assembly process. When I make them (often) I stitch the long edge yet leave a 4″ opening for turning. Then pull one end of the tube up inside the other, aligning the seams. Once the seams are aligned and the fabric is smooth I then place a pin on one of the tubes at the halfway mark directly across from the seam. This pin then gets twisted to align with the seam. Stitch all the way around the tube, turn the scarf out through the opening and stitch up the opening. Most times I use an machine edge stitch since the fabrics are fluffy and hide the topstitch easily.

    Hope that makes sense. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your top!

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