Color Block Shirt Part Two

The second part of the Color Block Shirt Tutorial will teach you how to adjust your shirt, put on the bias binding around the neck, make and attach the sleeves and hem the bottom!

After you have sewn up the sides and shoulder seams, it's a good time to adjust the fit. I put my shirt on wrong side out and pinned the sides in a little under the armpit. I also measured the armhole opening and wanted it a little bigger, so I pinned my cutting line as shown.

Now you can cut your bias binding out of the sheer poly used for the top. Cutting on the bias means cutting at a 45 degree angle to the grain of the fabric
 

Here's a picture of how to sew the bias strips together for a longer piece. I used a "sharp" needle in my machine for sewing the sheer so it didn't snag the delicate fabric.
 

Next, pin the bias binding around the neckline.  Make sure you pin with the right sides together, meaning the right side of the shirt should be facing out, and the bias binding should be facing down toward it (so that the finished side of the bias seam is facing the shirt). I started sewing at one end, and left a 2" tail so that when I ended, I could fold the tail over on top of the part I already sewed, and overlap the end on top of that for a nice clean finish.



Here I am sewing the binding on right sides together.



Now fold the binding over itself to the inside, to hide all the raw edges. Sew it down, stitching close to the inside edge as shown. I moved my needle over to the left position so I could stitch as close to the left side of the binding as possible.

 

Cut two identical sleeves as shown above. The right side is folded over, and tapers about 1/2" to the left on both the top and bottom. Pin the left (open) edge and sew. No need to worry about finishing your seam allowance as it will get hidden in the sleeve.

After sewing the side closed, fold the sleeve in half long ways, so the long sides and raw edges match up. You can baste these together if you wish, or just pin the two sides to the armhole sleeve (right sides together)- keeping the seam you previously sewed on the bottom of the armhole (at the side seam).

Sew around the armhole and finish your seam allowance to secure your sleeve!

I hemmed the bottom of the shirt using a twin needle (for a more decorative and stretchy! finish). You can serge the bottom edge too, then fold it in and sew it down! To use the twin needle, I folded the bottom in about 1/2" then over another 3/4" for a finished hem. Then I pinned and sewed close to the inside edge of the fold on the RIGHT SIDE of the shirt- otherwise, your two rows of stitching won't be seen on the outside!

 

Your finished Color Block Shirt!