More "Sewing with Jalie"

Since I've been working with knits more, lately, I've been trying to fill in some of the "gaps" in my wardrobe that I wasn't bold enough to face with my own sewing in the past. I have been needing some camisoles to pair with my tops, and since I liked the Jalie pattern that I used to make my scarf-collar top, I figured it couldn't hurt to try using 2564. This pattern calls for fold-over elastic to bind the top edges and make the straps, with the option of stitching it in place with a zig-zag stitch or a cover-stitch. The serger that I have cannot do cover-stitiching (it's a four thread), so near the end of last year I purchased a separate machine devoted to this purpose. Most of the work on these tops has to do with attaching the elastic, so this project has given me quite an opportunity to use my "new" cover-stitch machine and learn how to adjust the tensions and troubleshoot some threading issues.

Below are two tops I've made so far. The first one I left unlined and basically used to test the fit. Afterward, I made a second casmisole with a few revisions.





When making my first camisole, I cut it to the size that matched my bust measurement, as directed, though I made the top edge about half and inch higher to suit my preferences. The fit was okay, but the elastic was a bit snug at the underarm and the neckline needed a little tweaking to achieve the shape I wanted.
To be truthful, I think these two issues may be tied to my being somewhat smallish compared to average upper body sizes, so on a fuller busted person, this top would likely be filled out so that the neckline and elastic would fit more like the pattern photo. In other words, I don't think these are flaws in the pattern or its chart for elastic lengths; these are my own fitting quirks.



For camisole #2, I tried the lining, which worked nicely. I also made the neckline a little higher and the slightest bit more rounded. The changes in the neckline shape really aren't apparent when modeled by my dress form, but it does make a difference in the way they fit me ;-)
I did also allow for a little more slack in the fit of the elastic by increasing the cutting length and made the garment an inch longer, as well. Here's a peek at the lining:



I used fold-over elastic to finish the bottom edge of the lining, rather than regular elastic. When I first tried to attach it, it started to stretch out because it wasn't any shorter than the perimeter of the lining's edge, so I took in the elastic a little.

Below is my third camisole, waiting to be sewn. If you look closely, you can see my modifications to the front of the pattern.



For materials, I used a cotton/spandex blend from Spandex World and found the fold-over elastic and the bra slides at Sew Sassy Fabrics.

I'll try to keep things updated here as often as I can. I've been a bit busier now since I've been taking on sewing projects for other peolple. So even if I'm not posting here much, I am still sewing and hope to share a few pictures of a knit dress that I made sometime soon.