Making a raglan sleeve top can be a little confusing at first if you haven’t done it before. I have made a few, but I always have to take my time to make sure I attach the sleeve in the right spot. For this top, I used this Kwik Sew pattern 4041. I used some fabric I’ve had for (many) years.
With a raglan sleeve, the sleeve extends to the neckline/collar in one piece. So, there’s no traditional shoulder seam. I hadn’t used this pattern before, but this is one that I had picked up in a recent pattern haul.
Although this is an easy pattern to make, this first one took quite a while because I needed to match the stripes. I sewed a size large for this one, but it was a bit too large for me.
So, I wanted to make this again because I do like the style. Since I had traced the pattern, it was easy to trace again and make a size medium. I used some leftover fabric I had in my fabric stash and made the next one.
I think this is a much better fit. I used some leftover Minerva fabric for the body and black ribbed knit for the sleeves. This is a quick top to make when I don’t have to match up any stripes! The black and gray top took me about two hours to make.
On the pattern envelope you can see that this is a wider neckline. With that in mind, if you prefer something that’s not quite as wide, I would choose a different pattern. Because of how raglan sleeve tops are made, I would not want to go through the work of altering this particular pattern. I would just choose a different pattern design.
But my original navy blue and green striped is definitely wearable. I simply wear it with a T-shirt or tank underneath. The black and gray is warm and very comfortable (you know I like comfort).
The majority of the time, I do use my serger when I sew knits. I just love how the seams look and hold together when finished off with this. But if you’ve never sewn knits before, or don’t own a serger, not to worry.
You can simply use a zigzag stitch to sew the seams and that will give you the stretch you need for the seams.
I love sewing and wearing knit garments. They are comfortable to wear, easy to pack when traveling and easy to care for. Here’s a previous post on some other knit top patterns I’ve made.
Let me know if you sew knits or are you a bit apprehensive about it? It’s a process that can be much easier than you think!
Here’s a book that I find is full of helpful information and inspiration:
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