Basic Tee on the Janome AirThread 2000D

trinagallop

Aug 25

If you've followed me here long enough you know I'm on the constant search for basic wardrobe pieces. I've talked about my love for the capsule wardrobe many, many times. I have so much admiration for people who can pull together patterns and colour and texture into their daily apparel... but I don't have the capacity for that and LOVE go-to pieces that are often referred to as basic staples.

Having recently gotten to know the Janome AirThread 2000D a little better, I thought what better project to work on that my favourite basic tee! These are the foundation of my wardrobe. I honestly have over a week's supply of the same black basic t-shirts that are just "fancy" enough to wear under a blazer, sweater or scarf but can also be perfectly fine on their own. It's a cotton blend with a bit of stretch so it doesn't lose its shape, it's thin so it's not bulky, and a slightly fitted cut. But, it seems after years of buying them, they are not being made anymore (or I'm just not finding them at the right time of the year).

So, I figure it's time to make these myself! I love working with knit fabrics. The key is to buy quality knit fabric. Not only will they hold their colour fastness, but they are always much easier to work with and you don't have to worry about the ends rolling or other issues like you might with cheaper knit fabrics. I searched around quite a bit before finding this pattern from an indie pattern maker. It fits all my capsules wardrobe criteria - slightly fitted, a nice length in the torso, and options for crew neck (my favourite).

I love how quickly a serger project like this can come together. Honestly, I think it can take longer to prep a pattern and cut out fabric than it does to sew/serge everything together.

For my fabric, I chose a solid purple jersey knit from a local shop which is 95% cotton and 5% spandex. It's sooooo soft with the perfect amount of give. I like to make sure I do a test run using scraps of the fabric before I serge the garment pieces.

Look at how lovely that finished seam is! This is a four-thread serger stitch, which uses both the left and right needles, and provides a lovely stretch without breakage. It the perfect stitch for sewing knit fabrics as you're constructing the garment, and finishing the raw edge all in one step.

The Janome AirThread 2000D is so easy to use. The air threading system makes it one of the easiest machines (sewing, serger or otherwise!) to thread. There's also a needle threader! I love how smooth and fast the feed dogs move but I still feel in complete control all the time. There's ample work space provided by the sewing bed so you don't have to constantly maneuver your projects within a tiny area.

Preparing the neck binding took the most amount of time. Full disclosure, I put the neck binding on backwards the first time (ugh) and had to start that section over because the binding seam was in the front. I wish I could say that's something you only do once, lol!

To keep everything in place and so it doesn't shift around, I over pin this section. Of course, you have to be extra careful to remove the pins before they get near the knife blade and needles! You never, EVER want to accidentally sew over pins with a serger, so keep them well back from the knife blade, or use bigger clips which are more visible, instead.

The final step in this quick tee is to finish the hems on the arms and bottom of the shirt with a stretchy stitch. This is the perfect job for a Janome CoverPro machine for the professional finish of stitching the hem and overcasting the raw edge of the fabric all in one step. Or, on your domestic sewing machine, use either a twin needle or a zig zag stitch will also work for this hemming application. A twin needle is usually a more decorative and professional look in terms of the finish. I decided to do a zig zag stitch this time around as I was testing out this pattern for the first time (spoiler alert - winner winner chicken dinner!). Just like I did before I started using the serger, I again used a small piece of scrap fabric and did a test stitch of the zigzag, refining the width and length before stitching my garment.

I can't even tell you how happy I am with this finish! That neck binding is perfection! In fact, I'm so happy, I'll even share a rare pic of me modelling my new tee that is sure to become a key focal point in my growing capsule wardrobe.