Tuesday 25 February 2014

My First Renfrew

Having never sewn with knits before I decided that I really wanted to begin with a pattern which had loads of great resources online which I could refer to if I got stuck. Obviously this theory ended up with me deciding that the Sewaholic Renfrew was the way to go. I think that just about everyone in the blog world has at least one Renfrew if not a dozen or so.


As I mentioned in a previous post I bought the pattern from Guthrie and Ghani on a trip to Bimingham last year. I also bought some pale pink lightweight jersey fabric to go with it but I decided that for my first attempt with knit I would use something with a little more body. Luckily I made this right around the time that John Lewis had its Christmas/NY sale. Considering that I had never sewn with knits before I decided to go ahead and buy a couple of different knit fabrics some with stripes and this lovely burgundy flowery one. I decided this was the perfect fabric to start with as is was a nice weight (very similar to my RTW (ready to wear) tops) and it also had really small pattern which I didn't need to worry about matching. 


I decided to sew version A with the 3/4 length sleeves. It really sewed up quite quickly. I think the fact that knit does not really unravel at the raw edges means that there is not as much finishing to be done as there would be with a woven fabric. I also mentioned in another post that I have recently got a new machine, I will be sure to post more about it at a later date. Anyway, my new machine came with a free walking foot. Wow, what a difference that crazy contraption makes when working with knits. I will definitely be using it for all of my future knit projects (of which I am planning many).


It is really comfy to wear except for the sleeve cuffs. They are just a bit too tight for my arms so when I make my next Renfrew I am planning to give just a little more ease in the cuff band. The sleeve is a good size so I think I should be fine to just add a cm to the cuff without having to amend the sleeve pattern. 
I am also thinking that I will try a different finish on the neckline next time. I am sure I have seen a method for enclosing all of the raw edges for a cleaner finish on the inside. 

Having said all that I am delighted with this top and have been wearing it loads since I finished it. Most of my RTW tops are knits as I find them the most comfortable to wear. So, gaining the confidence to use this material has really opened up a world of possibilities. I definitely see several knit tops in my sewing future.

Also, GBSB episode 2 tonight! I loved it last week, really looking forward to it again this week :-)  

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