Dino T-shirt with a fake hem, or “lazy hem”

Hello everyone,

recently my 4-year-old grandson came to visit. His dad had said beforehand that the child no longer wants T-shirts with pictures on them. So I checked that live and let him look at fabrics. He thought all the solid-colored ones were boring, but he really liked the colorful dinosaur motifs and wished for a T-shirt made from one of them. You always have to ask first now, otherwise it may only end up pleasing yourself.

I sewed the T-shirt today. The cotton jersey fabric, a panel with 3 similar motifs, is from Hilco.

What I tried out for the first time on this T-shirt is a fake cuff or “lazy cuff”. It’s basically a quick hem finish. You don’t have to cut an extra cuff (which is always a bit fiddly with small children’s shirts). With this version, the hem on the sleeves and at the bottom is cut longer and then folded twice and sewn down. I really liked the “lazy cuff” version, especially for colorful motifs. You don’t want to bring another cuff color into play. In terms of color and fabric, it’s simply an extension of the fabric used. It doesn’t stand out as a cuff as much, but it serves the purpose of finishing the edge.

Only the neckband didn’t turn out so well for me. I only had a very narrow strip of the fabric panel left that I could use for it. So I sewed so close to the edge that in the end the seam wasn’t closed everywhere. I had to sew over it again at the front. That’s why the band isn’t the same width everywhere. But my grandson probably won’t mind.

Best wishes, Ina

Front:



Back



“Lazy hem”

Ina, that shirt looks absolutely great. That’s how I’ve always sewn the sleeve and bottom cuffs, and it looked good.

Yeah, kids these days are already very picky at age 4. I know that from my two granddaughters. You really have to ask them beforehand what they like and don’t like right now. So far, I’ve always been lucky, but in the future I’d rather ask the parents before I go to all that trouble. You’re lucky that your grandson lives nearby—that makes it easier.

WOW, Ina, what a great shirt! And that thing with the neckband can happen—it’s happened to me too—so here’s a tip: if you want to sew the neckband and other trim pieces from the same fabric as the shirt, it’s better to buy 10 cm more and then cut out the neckband and other pieces right along with the main fabric when you’re cutting it out.

Hugs, Inge

Thank you both for the praise and the tips.

Yes Monika, you can tell that you used to sew before. Over time, you try out what you like and what suits you. After all, everything has to be sewn first so you can form an opinion. For me, all of this is new territory and very exciting. There is so much to discover and try out. In any case, I really like this “fake hem” for the sleeves. At the bottom, though, I would rather have one that is less thick. After all, this hem variation has 3 layers of fabric. I think that’s good on the arms, but for the bottom I want to try something new soon. I’ll report back.

Tell me, Monika, have you tried out your sewing machine yet?

Dear Inge, you’re absolutely right, of course. If you draw in the cuff right away when cutting out the fabric, you’re on the safe side. I only drew the front and back pieces and 2 x the sleeves. From the rest, which was really just the offcuts, I had to create a cuff.

I have another question:
Does it matter what the grainline is for a cuff? The jersey was stretchy in both directions, but of course it has a grainline. So do you cut the cuff (if it is lying crosswise) on the grainline? With store-bought cuff fabric, that’s clear to me. But if the jersey is two-way stretch, doesn’t it not matter? Sometimes it simply works better color-wise or size-wise one way than the other.

Best regards, Ina

Ina, I haven’t tried out the sewing machine yet—I’ll get to that. I need to take my time with it. Right now, there are so many other things piling up that need to be taken care of first. My husband is going to get it ready first—that is, oil it. He’s already looked over the instructions.

My first project will be the doll carrier for Linja. I already have the fabric for it.

Ina, I like your hems better than a sewn-on one. The shirt already has enough color.
It looks great.

Dear Monika, I understand that completely. There’s a time for everything, and the sewing machine isn’t going anywhere.

Dear Petra, I’m glad you like it. Yes, I also prefer these kinds of hems to cuffs, which always tend to pull everything together a bit. And for a summer shirt, you really just need a way to finish off the fabric—the cuff doesn’t serve any other purpose.

Best regards, Ina

Hey Ina,
it’s always a blast to admire your amazing sewing projects. That T-shirt is awesome. The front design alone brings a smile to my face. I even like the dinosaur.

Well, I only sew every now and then, but I would’ve sewn the simple cuffs that way too, because as a beginner, attaching a separate cuff would probably be too fiddly for me.

I’m not sewing right now, but I still have a question about sewing cuffs.
Some sewing machines even let you fit two needles and sew with a double stitch, so to speak.
Is that what you use for sewing cuffs? I don’t have a serger.

Ina, when it comes to cuffs, it’s important that they’re crosswise stretchy; I pay more attention to that than to the so-called grainline with jersey. With woven fabrics, it’s a bit different—there you really should stick to the grainline.

Best regards, Inge

Thank you Inge for the reply. I’ll keep that in mind.

Andrea, you’ve sewn before, too? That’s great. But you’re so versatile—the little beads or crochet yarn are usually more readily at hand. A sewing project always requires a bit more preparation and sustained attention.

I’m glad you like my T-shirt. The world is already dreary enough sometimes, so at least little kids should be allowed to proudly show off their colorful heroes. I’m not a fan of those “camouflage colors” in kids’ clothes. Go into a store right now and look at the kids’ clothes—they all look like army clothing. I’m absolutely against it! Kids’ fashion, in particular, should be colorful and kid-friendly!

What you’re referring to are twin needles. They have two needle eyes at the front and therefore two threads. I just recently discovered that my sewing machine has a second spool pin for the sewing thread and that it can definitely sew with a twin needle like that. Now I’ve ordered a twin needle and am going to try exactly that—on a hem. I think it looks nice when you can see two parallel lines of stitching. Let’s see how it turns out and looks in real life.

Best regards, Ina

Wow, that panel is awesome!! My little one would love that too :).
Really cool shirt, great work!

Best regards,
Sonja

Thanks, Sonja, I bought it on Etsy. Search term: “3er Panel Drachen Flugzeuge Surfen Sommer”.

Best, Ina