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Made by a Fabricista: A Mesh Knit Top for Fall

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I have had a fear of sewing with mesh for years...literally!  I finally overcame it and tried a few projects and decided it's fun...just take a few precautions and you'll be fine.  

                   

Trust me!

                      
My original project I had planned was a total wadder which was too bad!  I really liked the fabric but despite making a muslin, it fit so weirdly and was very, very unflattering.  I can't even show it to you!  



Luckily I hadn't taken the time to blog about this top I am wearing--whew!  



Can you see how cool this fabric is?  It's comfortable on your skin too!  



This top is made in a 'cocoon' shape which is sort of funky but I like it!   However, you must choose the right fabric.  This is a StyleArc pattern and here is a picture from the site: 


The cocoon shape is more pronounced that it appears in the line drawing.  The sleeves are VERY narrow, so test the fit prior to sewing together.   


 Mesh is a great choice since it doesn't stand away from your body making you look like an egg, which is important! 



I tested this fabric using both a regular sewing machine and a serger.  It worked just perfect on my serger so that is how I stitched the entire thing.  



I topstitched the neck band on and then single-stitched the hems.  


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What do you think of sewing with mesh?  If you are worried, don't be, just create some test strips and find out what works for your fabric and design.  

                   

Thanks for reading!
Sue from Ilove2sew!

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 19, 2016 at 10:09 AM

    very nice. Love how it drapes!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ann BrodskyOctober 20, 2016 at 10:39 AM

    Very neat! I love that fabric. I too am a little hesitant to work with mesh. It's good to see your top looking so great in it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. NTROctober 20, 2016 at 12:44 PM

    Really like how the mesh works with this pattern. Nice top.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 20, 2016 at 2:28 PM

    That's a great top, it looks very comfy and you look great in it. Love your hair!

    ReplyDelete
  5. RobinOctober 22, 2016 at 10:38 AM

    I am a convert to mesh knit. I got an interesting piece in a FM mystery bundle. It was a camouflage print in orange, green aqua...kinda loud, but I made a Hawthorne T out of it and LOVE it! You're so right about picking the right pattern for this fabric. The Hawthorne works great, except I tried to hem the sleeves - big mistake. So I cut off the hem, and decided I needed to make the lower sleeves much smaller in circumference, because the mesh stretches pretty far and I wanted the sleeves to slay up when I push them up to the elbows. I used a knit lightening stitch and was pleasantly surprised my little economy Brother machine handled it well with no problems. I was able to double needle stitch the neckline too - the final product looks great and is very comfortable. Gotta love those bundles!

    ReplyDelete

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