Elegant Scalloped Tee

On our trip to New York in May, I spotted this lovely peach knit with a classic Italian print, only understated.  It is a very light cotton jersey and while it is rare that I make a Tabula Rasa Knit top in only one fabric, this one seemed like a great candidate knowing that I had a necklace that would coordinate perfectly. Seemed like a wonderful top to wear to all the retirement events planned for my husband this summer.

Gather Materials

This top features classic woven fabric finishes in knit fabric.  It was helpful that the fabric did not stretch much, but it was also supported with the Envy Silk interfacing often chosen for light knits that need some support.  Solid ivory jersey was chosen to create the facings adding shape to the neckline and weight at the hem.  Some pretty pearl and gold buttons were found in the button box to decorate the sleeve and hem scallops.

Adjust the Pattern

The scallops were arranged along the neckline of my Tabula Rasa Knit Tee Tru-grid Pellon pattern with white tissue pinned in place for the neckline changes.  It is helpful to see the entire front and back opening when planning such a design so there are no pointy surprises.  I used a jar lid to trace the scallops and arranged for them to cross over the shoulder seams for a smooth design detail.

The pattern was also adjusted at the sleeve hem with scallops and with a pair of scallops in the side/front seams at the hemline.

Each of the adjustments was created on a piece of tissue that was large enough to serve as a facing as well when unpinned from the Tru-grid Pellon pattern.

Prepare the Fabric

The top pieces were cut from the print fabric and the facings in the solid ivory.  Envy Silk Interfacing was cut using the facing pieces for both the fashion fabric and facings along the entire hemline, sleeve hemline and neckline.

Once all the interfacing was fused into place, construction could begin.

Creating the Scallops

The shoulder seams were stitched in both the facings and the top.  The sleeves were stitched and their scallop facings also stitched for construction.  The sleeve process will be shown as it is smaller and easier to see.  The neckline process photos will be featured on social media throughout the week.

Each scallop point was marked with a small dot of vanishing ink on the facing to keep the stitching tidy.  A second row of correction stitches was added in places where the scallops seemed a bit wonky.

Seam allowances were trimmed and a clip was made at each interior scallop point.

Using the iron, each scallop was pressed allowing the ivory fabric to favor toward the front.  I like this little peek of the facing, especially for this combination.  It tames the print a bit and offers some support to the scalloped edges.

See how the scallops were pinned into the desired shape before topstitching.  Here the knit’s habit of moving and stretching would not be helpful,  the details needed to be anchored into place with pins and then stitches.

Complete Construction

The sleeve side units were finished once the scallops were faced and the facings anchored.  The interfaced hemline and hem facing were applied using the same techniques as above, though it was a bit easier as there were only two scallops at the seamlines.

Add Final Finishes

The decorative button trimming the cuffs and hem give a polished finish and look great with the necklace I plan to wear.

Have you tried any woven finishes on your knit tops? See a cold weather version of this hemline in the archived post New Knit Details. Join me for the Notable Knits class at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Fredericksburg VA this fall to see this and many more tops, pants, dresses and tunics made with comfortable and fun knit fabric

Happy Sewing, RAE