Okay, I’ll admit it. I don’t sew woven fabric unless I’m forced to, in testing a pattern. If it’s not a test I will insist on using a knit fabric with similar drape as what is called for in the pattern. I’m a rebel just for kicks, y’all. I took the chance and sewed up the new Jalie Gisele in rayon spandex, instead of the flowy wovens the pattern suggests. And man, it worked beautifully!
Gisele is a semi-fitted top with a bound neckline, side slits at the hem and two styles of sleeves. I chose to do the bracelet-length sleeve with encased elastic, and skipped the keyhole back since my rayon spandex fabric had plenty of stretch. I was able to sew up the pattern in under two hours, which I really appreciated since I am always in a time-crunch.
My tips for making the Jalie Gisele in knit are simple – size down, and make the neckhole the way you would for any knit pattern, skipping the back keyhole or placket. I used the double fold method of binding a neckline using the same fabric as the body, which meant basically cutting a strip 1.5″ wide x WOF, and slightly stretching it as I attached it to the raw edge. I then trimmed off the excess, thus saving me a whole lot of math. I have made so many clothes now that I stretch the strip by feel instead of quartering the neckline which is a method that can result in puckers if your fabric has too much recovery. If you find puckers in your neckband, you need to take it off and use a slightly longer band. There are calculations often stated on the internet – 80%, 85% of the circumference of the neck opening – but again, fabric quality, stretch and recovery will all influence the final look, so be cautious about a standardised number. I find puckering and stretching often get resolved with a good steam from the iron and nice top-stitching. Happy Sewing!