Easy Knit Cover Up
Alison J. O’Grady
Sew Bee It Clothier
This is a quick and easy project to keep your shoulders cozy in those overly air
conditioned stores in the summertime. This may have you making a couple for yourself
but be prepared for friends asking for you to create them one as well!
Materials List:
1. Havel’s Serrated Shears
2. 1 ⅝ yards of a lightweight knit. {I used a metallic tricot knit.}
3. Thread to match
4. Sewing machine
5. Large size paper plate
6. A sheet of tissue paper
7. Pins
Often sewists shy away from slippery fabrics like knits and tricot because they can be
difficult when cutting. I have found that the best results come with using the right tools
for the job.
Serrated shears have tiny, miniscule teeth that grab the fabric with each cut, rather than
pushing the fabric away as you bring both blades together. You will have better control
with your cutting, so these shears will be perfect for this project. Let’s get going!
● Fold fabric wrong sides together with the fold at the top of your cutting area, and
the selvedges together but closest to you, at the bottom. Trim each raw end with
your rotary cutter for a nice clean finish.
● Use pins or clips at the selvedge to keep fabric from shifting.
● At the folded edge, measure from your neatened edge to what will be our center,
about 28 inches. Place a pin or clip here to mark. This will be the center of our
neck opening.
● Now measure out 5 inches in each direction from that center mark placing a pin
at the 5 inch measurement. Cut on the fold from one end of the pin to the other
pin in a slight bow, using serrated shears for best results.
● Turn this raw edge to the wrong side and edge stitch with a small stitch on your
machine. You could easily use a fabric bias strip to finish also as this knit/tricot
won’t fray!
● Take a paper plate and lay it on your tissue paper or the paper you have chosen.
● {I use this method when I need a good rounded edge and this fits our project!}
You’ll trace the edge of the plate onto the paper using about a quarter of the
plate and that will give us a pattern. Cut on the traced line.
● Fold your cover-up, fold with the neck opening at the top, selvedges at the
bottom. Fold one nicely cut edge over to the other so it creates a crosswise fold.
● Place your rounded corner pattern on the lower cut edge side flush with that
edge, but 1 inch above the selvedges.
● Pin your pattern and start cutting at the top of the rounded edge pattern and
continue around the rounded edge and continue cutting 1 inch off the selvedge
till you reach the fold. You may have to neaten edges but those serrated shears
will do the trick nicely. Congrats and admire your creation!
You can either slip this over your head or tie it around your shoulders. Either way, you
will have clean, neat edges with a great appearance.
About Alison J. O’Grady of Sew Bee It Clothier
As a frustrated clothing shopper, I realized that by creating and sewing my garments, there are not any others like them in the world! I loved that. The sleeves are long enough, the colors are what looks best on me, and this garment can be just what I am so proud to wear.
THAT is why I decided to open my business, to offer my skills to others that recognized the quality and workmanship I can provide.