Monday 4 March 2019

Cashmerette Concord V neckline alteration


Cashmerette Concord V neckline
 I took my Cashmerette Concord tee tunic with V neckline to class a few weeks ago as I just couldn’t wear the top - the neckline was just so loose and baggy, due to me having used too long a band length. I took apart, tried to redo - but it was no better. I decided that if I could find the fabric, I would re-cut the band to the length I measured after pinning it appropriately -  a lot shorter than it was originally. I also planned to cut the band slightly wider as I find the neckline too low and too wide, despite having raised it. However, after lots of searching I couldn’t find the fabric. I think I may have given the rest away when I thought I had finished the top. I now give fabric to Chris for her pouffe (stuffing) but at that time I was destashing scraps elsewhere so there is no option to retrieve. The end result was that I HAD  to make this band work somehow!
 
This time, I uses a zigzag stitch around the neckline -
first time, over the overlocking, I could only get a straight stitch to work

Each term in class, we choose some goals. My goal this term should have been armhole and neckline finishes! I’ve had so many problems with them...

I managed to get the original band, now shortened by around 4”, to work on the Cashmerette tee.

The most worrying part was the point of the V, which had extended - that is, the snipping appeared to be longer and the fabric was wider at that point. However, I stay stitched to the new point. Then, using the length I had chosen from the previous attempt, I stitched the two ends of the band together as per Cashmerette’s instructions. I marked off quarters on that and on the neckline. The band was narrower in some places where the previous overlocking had cut some off, so I had to be careful to pin accurately - at least as well as I could.

I panicked that I had got it completely wrong, as my band seemed MUCH too short, until I realised that by machine basting the two layers of the band together at the seam edges, I had stopped it stretching. After I removed that stitching , all was well. (my original band was hand basted, and while it could stretch more than this machine basted one, perhaps that contributed to the band being far too long)

Then I chose to follow a particular stripe while I was sewing, using a very narrow zigzag stitch.I didn’t  get my wish to make the band wider as that just wasn't possible using the original band  - but at least it’s not too much narrower!

As the seam at the back, that is between the band and the body of the tee, is much narrower than previously as the fabric had previously been trimmed and overlocked, I chose not to overlock it this time. I then top stitched around the neckline using a wide zigzag stitch in pale blue, as I did on sleeves and hemline. Clearly, a coverstitch machine would have given a much nicer and more professional finish - but I don’t have one.

It’s finished - at least as much as I’m ever going to do on it. I still find it too low for my liking so I may choose to wear a scarf or a big necklace with it! At least it seems to lie better. Only time will tell, of course.

The finished neckline. It is far from perfect but is hopefully now wearable



7 comments:

  1. What a wonderful save! The band looks good and you can always sew a bit of lace there to give a bit more coverage. Nice job!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Mary. I'm wearing it as we speak - with a scarf, partly for coverage and partly because it's so cold!

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  2. Nice job! I wonder if your fabric has two-way stretch? My neckline never turned out so low. Just checked, as I'm wearing a v-neck Concord as we speak ;)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Marianne. My fabric has a little lengthwise stretch. When I made the top, I raised the neckline on the pattern quite a bit. For me, it needs to be still higher -and narrower. I don't like this length on me, either, as I found out with shirt recently, too and I remember cutting a RTW tunic shorter a couple of years ago. So my next will be back to the basic design - not a V, not a scoop, no sleeve tabs and not a tunic! Having said that, I'm wearing this as we speak.

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    2. I will measure the pieces I have now against the pattern to see if there's any growth in length - I hadn't thought of that prior to your response. I did stabilise the shoulders but the top is quite long and heavy so I guess it wouldn't be too surprising. I had a dress that did that before and I had to cut off a whack!

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    3. Good idea! I was also thinking about how different your next shirt might look if you were using fabric without lengthwise stretch. Fitting for knits can be tricky.

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