Latest Design: V-Neck Knit Crop Top

Basic t-shirts are just that- basic! So we decided to change a few elements to our basic t-shirt pattern. Now, its not so basic. In this blog post, we will share our insights into the make up of our V-Neck Crop Top and several things to keep in mind.

​Project Specs

• 0.9 M of medium weight knit fabric from Fabricana
• 0.4 M of ribbing from Fabricana​
• All major seams stitched on a JUKI MO-6816 industrial over-lock

• Front of V Neck stitched on a JUKI DDL 8300
• 3 Hours over the span of 1 month

​Design Elements

Our not so basic t-shirt has several fun design elements including a cropped silhouette, a retro inspired rib hem finish, mid length sleeves and a V neckline. What is your favorite element?

V-Neckline

This design was inspired by a knit t-shirt pattern we drafted in the past. This time, we took the plunge by swapping out the neckline to help while instructing how to install a V-neckline.

Achieving a perfect V-neckline takes practice. Here are the sequence of sewing steps to achieve your next perfect V. Please note a 1/2" SA was applied to neckline seam. A regular sewing machine and an over-lock sewing machine are required:

​1. With wrong sides of the fabric facing each other, over-lock the raw edges of the neckline ribbing together, do not cut anything off. This stitch will act as a stay-stitch. Overlap the CF ends of the Ribbing when sewing to create the V.

2. On the Front Shirt stitch a security stitch using 1.5mm approximately 2" out from V pivot point. This will mark the V for you to follow and strengthen the area when we clip into SA.

3. Carefully clip the SA towards the pivot point stopping 1/16" away. This will allow you to pivot easily when attaching Ribbing.

4. Mark pivot point on Ribbing, and extend markings 2" out from pivot point along SA.

5. Pin and sew Ribbing onto Front Shirt starting 2" out, pivot at V point. Note- you will only be able to pin one side of V, other side will get pinned after pivoting at the machine.
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6. Pin the remainder of the Ribbing to Front Shirt and over-lock at your allotted SA. Make it a point to line up over lock stitch to the straight stitch.

If you're interested in a more detailed tutorial on how to sew a V-neckline, let us know below.

Cropped Fit

Cropped and Cuddly. This design features a cropped fit with a slight cinched waist. Crop tops are typically on the tighter side. We didn't want this, so we gave ourselves extra room with extra ease, creating a semi over-sized silhouette. The perfect combination of cute and comfy!

We're big fans of this silhouette and it shows in our designs. This is actually the fourth time we've made this crop top! Previous designs that have used this pattern are shown below. 

Ribbing

If you do not own a cover stitch machine, ribbing or self bound hem finishes are the best! This type of finish is also great for lengthening a garment that is too short.

​Final Design

In between lengthy and complex designs, it's fun to sew up an easier design to provide you with motivation. Easier designs include accessories, basic knit tops (like this one!), 2D tops, etc. Check out our Blog Archive HERE for stress-free sewing tutorials!

​Learning how to sew a basic T-shirt design like this can be easy and fun! If you want to learn how to achieve a perfect V-neckline, contact us to BOOK lessons.

​Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.