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I made this Lydia T-shirt – it was one of the first downloadable products I ever bought. Its only 79p so it’s a good deal. I cut the size 38 which is my Burda size.
Burda Lydia #3197 T-shirt
It’s a basic, long-sleeve t-shirt. The main difference with most other t-shirts I am familiar with is the neckline construction. This one has facings – though this picture above doesn’t show the facing version – the instructions are just like for a facing you would find on a woven top. The sleeve is supposed to be set in but I prefer flat construction with jersey fabrics.
I made this out of pure curiosity to see how the neck would turn out. I used knit fusible interfacing for the facing pieces. After sewing them to the neckline I understitched. I gotta say I am quite impressed so far. The neck line is very neat and I love that it looks good enough to wear with a smart skirt and pass for smart workwear. I will have to see how it performs after a few washes before trying out this technique again though. Have you tried finishing the neckline on a knit top with a facing?
Fabric wise- I used a John Kaldor cotton jersey that I bought from Fletcher’s Fabrics in Leeds Market. Its left over from a Moneta dress I made around the same time. It was an utter delight to work with this fabric; as is wearing it. The comfort level on this top is very high. All the hems were done with a twin needle. Shoulders were stabilised with fusible bias tape which I also used around the neckline so it wouldn’t stretch out.
Pictures…
Burda Lydia T Shirt
Burda Lydia T Shirt – back
Verdict: A solid t-shirt pattern that gains extra points for having a great price point.
Thanks for stopping by. Until next time happy sewing !
Peace and love,
Hila
lisa g
November 27, 2016 10:36 pmCute tee! And I have used a facing on knits before – I really like the finish when I want something cleaner or dressier than a regular band.
Joy
November 28, 2016 12:09 amBeautiful Tee. I love seeing the items you give life. you have such a great take on patterns in you fabric selections. I am new to sewing and there is a skirt pattern I would like to download from Burda, but I don’t have a working printer right now and I was wondering if I purchased the download, would I have to print it right away or can it be saved and printed later? Thanks for your response and keep on doing what you do.
Hila
November 28, 2016 7:02 amHi Joy. Thanks for tour kind words. You dont have to print it straightaway. When you buy a downloadable Burda pattern its saved in your download library on your Burda account. Of course I also back that up by saving my pattern files on my own PC as well. You can definitely print whenever you want.
sewchet
November 28, 2016 8:39 amI always used to face knits and have only just started using the band method. I don’t have a favourite as both can produce perfect results. Yours is great, as always, and this fabric is stunning.
Hila
December 2, 2016 2:27 pmThank you! I am a sucker for a good John Kaldor print 🙂
Thimberlina
November 28, 2016 9:31 amThis looks great, a really staple. I’ve not thought of facing knits, but will def try it! xx
Hila
December 2, 2016 2:27 pmThanks Ali!
Becky Thompson
November 28, 2016 11:36 amI love that fabric. Gorgeous tee!
Hila
December 2, 2016 2:27 pmThanks Becky!
Lisa Poblenz (patternandbranch)
November 28, 2016 1:12 pmThe facing definitely makes it look just a bit more polished than a normal t-shirt. I’ve never made a knit top with a facing, but now I’m curious. Well done!
Hila
December 2, 2016 2:27 pmThanks!
jendavismiller
November 28, 2016 4:52 pmVery pretty! And it looks simple for someone just beginning to sew knits (that would be me), I like the idea of the faced neckline.
Hila
December 2, 2016 2:26 pmKnits arent as bad as all that really. They are very forgiving when it comes to fitting unlike wovens. Go for it – this a cheap easy to begin with pattern – and also good fit based on the loads of reviews I read on Pattern Review 🙂
jendavismiller
December 2, 2016 6:17 pmI’ll give it try! Thanks Hila.
norma
November 28, 2016 8:22 pmIt’s turned out really well. I have seen good ready made knit tops with facings but have never done it myself.
Pretty fabric too!
Hila
December 2, 2016 2:25 pmThanks Norma. x
JaneyB
November 29, 2016 2:17 pmI’ve just made the Liesel + Co Maritime Top (well, nearly made it!) which has a facing for the neckline. I was a bit dubious but so far it looks really neat. The Maritime neckline is top-stitched down but if I was making a smarter version I might just catch it at the shoulder seams. Love your fabric!
Hila
December 2, 2016 2:25 pmThanks Janey. I saw your Maritime top on Instagram and it does look very nice. Agree that a facing makes it look more polished.
JaneyB
December 2, 2016 4:07 pmI can definitely recommend the Maritime – I’m preparing a blog post!
Linda of Nice dress! Thanks, I made it!!
November 30, 2016 1:48 amI love the fabric! Nice work sewing it up too!
tialys
November 30, 2016 7:54 amI don’t generally like facings much but this does look very well finished and just a bit ‘smarter’ than a band. You’ll have to let us know what happens after it’s been through the wash a couple of times.
Hila
December 2, 2016 2:22 pmWill do. I tend to wear my clothes 2- 3 times before a wash unless they get stained or smelly , so it might be a while 🙂
tialys
December 2, 2016 3:17 pmDefinitely better for the planet!
TamsinW-P
December 2, 2016 6:58 pmLovely top. I made this a few years ago but found that the sizing was too big. I also did a banded neckline instead of the facing so can’t comment on that! I wore it for a while but recently donated it to a charity shop. I need some more simple tops so might try this again in a smaller size.
Hila
December 5, 2016 9:03 pmThanks Tamsin. I am going for a neckband with my next one and a solid colour too.