Red Bamboo Knit: Top & Skirt
Travel Trio One #1204 Banded Neck Tee & Travel Trio Three #226 Pocket Skirt
From Coordinated Effort
By Jan Raley
I decided to make a simple long, flowing skirt and long sleeve tee out of the Red Bamboo Knit (B765) in order to showcase the beautiful color and drape of the fabric. To add versatility, I made the skirt reversible to black and both pieces work with the Beach Glass garments (See Coordinated Effort). The patterns used were the Pocket Skirt from Travel Trio Three #226 and the Banded Neck Tee from Travel Trio One #1204.
The skirt is made using just the back pattern piece ( #13 ) for both the front and back. I wanted the black side to be 1” longer than the red. The red skirt was lengthened by 2 ¼” and 3 ½” was added to the black skirt. (See both Print/Solid Reversible Garments and Optional Hems for Knits for more information on these measurements and hemming details.) Construct both skirts, serging the side seams. Right sides together, serge the two skirts together at the waist. Turn and press.
Baste a line of stitching a bit larger than 1 ¼” from the top of the skirt through both layers, leaving an opening. Insert 1 ¼” elastic the desired amount for your waistline and sew the ends together. Distribute the elastic evenly and twin needle stitch through the lower edge of the elastic, stretching as you sew. Remove the basting stitches from the temporary casing.
Press a 1 ¼” hem in the red skirt and use a Serged Hem. Press a 1 ½” hem in the black skirt and use a Decorative Serged Hem. (See Optional Hems for Knits)
The revision to the Banded Neck Tee consists of adding a 4 ½” wide band down the center front and center back. Draw a seamline for this band 2 ¼” from the fold. Draft a pattern piece for the band, adding 5/8” seam allowance beyond the seamline. Draw a seam allowance 5/8” beyond the seamline for the side front and fold the pattern back along that line. Do the same for the back.
The center bands were cut on the cross grain to give a slight variation in color. Right sides together, serge the bands to the side fronts. Repeat for the back.
Complete construction of the top following the pattern directions, adding an optional cuff to the sleeves if desired.
By Jan, Sample Garment Sewer @ CJ Patterns Studio.
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