Hello there! Today we're going to talk about custom knits. And if you're looking for the awesome fabric giveaway, YES you came to the right place! We'll get to that in a bit.
But first -- If you have looked into custom knits at all, you are sure to have seen some cute "panels" out there. They are often a background with a main image in the middle, and the idea is to use them as the main focal point of an outfit you're making. Knit panels generally come in small sizes that are ideal for kids' clothing. But what about when your kids start to outgrow them? Well, about a year ago I did a blog post showing how to use a panel that is smaller than the size you're making. It's not difficult but it does require some math and colorblocking. Like this:
It turns out super cute, but it always makes me wish that the panels would just come larger in the first place.
Well, today I have something super exciting to show you!
Adult sized knit panels! YESSSS! I was so excited when I heard that Fabric Obsessions (a custom knit group) is now carrying adult size panels! The adult panels measure about 27" x 33". That's plenty of room to fit a tween or adult size pattern piece on there! In my photo above, you can see a *women's* pattern piece laid on there, with plenty of room to spare! Woo!
I was super excited to get my hands on some of the first Wizards' Academy Collection fabric. It's available for pre-order right now and it could not be any cuter! These prints and panels are unique to Fabric Obsessions and there are several other images available too. (Snape has always been a favorite of mine...) And if you're not into wizards, there are several other themes in this round, and many others in rounds to come!
So after my piecing-together tutorial from last year, now I get to show you how awesomely easy it is to use an adult panel! (No piecing required!) And because I made it for my tween daughter last time, why not do it for her again? She is into adult sizes now -- but that's no problem for this adult panel! I love that she was able to choose any style of top she wanted and we knew it would fit on the panel. Her pick was Charity's Swing Top, but with sleeves added so she can wear it at school. We used the sleeves from Lyric's dress.
This pattern piece has a FOLD line, so that's where we will start! In the above photo, you can see that I folded the panel exactly in half down the middle. You want to be careful that the fold goes through the center of the image.
Then place your pattern piece on the fold. Be sure to be aware of where the image is on the piece. I wanted it at chest level -- not too high and not too low. That gave me extra space at the top and the bottom. If you wanted the image to end up higher or lower on your finished shirt, you could do that too by placing the piece where you want it. Then just cut it out, being sure to use the front neck line as you cut.
Ta-da! Isn't it adorable? I am really pleased with the placement too.
After your main panel is cut, now you just need to cut out the remaining pieces of the pattern. In this case, I used the adorable Wizards' Academy coordinating prints to cut the back piece, sleeves, and side "swing" panels. (We could have made it a regular tee with no panels, but she loves the swing style.) They are all so amazing together!
Note: When I make clothes for my boys using character prints like this, I often use solid colors to break them up a bit. But in the case of my daughter, the more prints the merrier!
Next, you just sew up the pattern as instructed in the pattern. When you're done, you'll have a great new shirt to show off! We both absolutely adore how this turned out.
Cute, cute! It's a perfect fit and perfectly fun for school! And did I mention we're headed to HP Land soon?! She's already telling me to make sure we don't forget to pack it for the trip. I think my other kids are going to need some panel shirts for the occasion too!
(Note: I had a little too much fun playing around with the lighting edits in her modeled photo above. In real life, the shirt is the same color as the graphics below. It's more purple-y than royal blue.)
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And NOW... it's time for our giveaway! Fabric Obsession knows how much you're going to love getting your hands on these fabrics. They have generously offered this prize of 1 meter of fabric (slightly more than a yard) *PLUS* 1 panel of choice, to one very lucky winner! More of the details are on the graphic below. Click to enlarge if needed. When you're all ready to enter, the Rafflecopter widget is down below!
Good luck! I can't wait for you to get your hands on some of this amazing fabric!
The pre-orders for this round end on the 20th, so go ahead and order right now before it's too late! I am really pleased with the quality of this fabric. It's super soft and the images look great even after pre-washing and sewing. I'm a big fan, that's for sure.
Let's Create! ~ Kristen
