Tutorial: Sewing a woven cotton strip onto a t-shirt

You have been several to ask us, so here is the tutorial for sewing a woven cotton strip on a t-shirt! For this tutorial, we will be using our Balloon Eraser pattern, however, you could follow these instructions to do this project on other patterns, and even on a store-bought sweater! 

You need: 

- 1/4 m de Quilted cotton, poplin, or even jersey

- A short-sleeved sweater pattern, like the Gomme Balloune, le Jujube or Vanilla

- Sewing material for a sweater

Étape 1:

The first thing to do is to modify the sleeve pattern of the chosen sweater. You will need to do a very important calculation here. First, you need to subtract the hem measurement. On the Gomme Balloune, or any other NON NON OUI pattern, the hem measurement is always 2 cm. Then, you need to subtract another 2 cm, as this is the measurement our cotton band will have in the end, and our goal here is to keep the same sleeve length. Next, you need to add the seam allowance. If you have followed correctly, you should have the following formula: 

(Hem measurement - 2 cm) + Seam allowance = How many centimeters to remove from the sleeve pattern. 

For the Gomme Balloune, the answer is 3 cm. So we need to remove 3 cm, as shown in the picture. 

Cut your sweater sleeves with this modification.

Étape 2:

Now we need to determine the length of our cotton band. This measurement depends on the measurement of your sleeve. To obtain the most accurate measurement possible, it is ideal to remove the seam values from the sleeve, as shown in the photo. You must measure at the location indicated by the arrow.

Étape 3:

The measurement of your band will be as follows:

Length: Sleeve measurement + Seam allowance

Height: 10 cm

Don't forget the fold line!

Cut 2 strips.

Étape 4: 

Fold the strip in half horizontally and iron.

Étape 5: 

Unfold the strip and fold it vertically so that the ends meet. Pin and sew.

Étape 6: 

Press the fold on each side of the seam.

Étape 7: 

Reform the horizontal fold.

Étape 8: 

Separate the band and the sleeve into 4 to create markers. Pin the band onto the sweater sleeve using the markers. Add pins to facilitate sewing. Sew with a straight stitch without stretching the fabrics.

Étape 9: 

Overlock the band.

Étape 10: 

Fold the strip in half onto itself, until it reaches the seam line.

Étape 11: 

Sew small security stitches under the sleeve and at the shoulder, using a straight stitch, to prevent the band from unfolding. Topstitch (optional).

AND THAT'S IT! 

It's so easy to make and it's a beautiful way to use up scraps!

Happy sewing! xox