Sewaholic Renfrew — My New Sewing Love

Last week I made two shirts! Are you impressed? The best part is that with a regular sewing machine and about 4 hours (maybe less), you can have one of these tops, too. I love this pattern because it is a fitted t-shirt that doesn’t involve hemming knits — the cute bands on the waist and sleeves solve that problem with style.

So here’s the first one I made:

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Here are the details:

Pattern — Sewaholic Renfrew, View B

Fabric — Green and white unknown knit remnant I picked up for $5 at a local shop. It is slightly sheer so I wear a white cami underneath. I probably have enough fabric left to make another top. It drove me crazy but I managed to get the stripes reasonably matched up.

Likes — Quick to sew, great length, body hugging style. I also like that the pattern gives several different neckline and sleeve variations. I had to do some tweaking to get the fit right since the pattern calls for a stable knit and mine definitely was not. Also, the pattern is drafted for a B-cup, so I cut a size larger in the bust and tapered back down at the waist.

Dislikes — I hate to even label this as a dislike because I think it is really more a side effect of my fabric (unstable knit), but my waistband is too loose and doesn't hug my hips like I would like for it to. Don't get me wrong, this version is totally wearable, but I find myself smoothing the waistband against my body regularly so it doesn't flare out.

Tips — If you use a less stable knit, consider cutting your arm and waistbands a size or two or three smaller and easing them on. I did this on version 2.0 and it solved the loose waistband problem. I also cut the neckband in version 1.0 15% smaller than the neck opening and this made the neckline lay nice and flat. You may also consider using some clear elastic in the neckline to keep it from stretching out and to make it nice and snappy.

I will try to get pics of my second version up soon. I am also working on the new Sewaholic Cambie dress and I have two delicious recipes in the queue so stay tuned!

Tags: knits, Renfrew, Sewaholic