Pointelle Projects: 5 Looks We Love
If you are looking for pointelle project ideas, this blog is for you! This is the first of an ongoing series on pointelle knits, which will cover sewing pattern recommendations and sewing techniques that complement the fabric, as well as showcase our community’s creations.
In this blog, I will share five styles I made using our pointelle fabrics. I tried to show some classic styles alongside more modern uses for these beautiful knits!
My measurements: Bust 34″, Waist 25″, Hip 31″
The Fitted Tee
A fitted Tee is the most classic style for cotton pointelles and it’s also the one I get asked about the most. Here are my favorite three fitted Tee patterns, each with its own personality. All three patterns give the right fit in the upper bodice. Fitted garments made with 100% cotton tend to grow and shrink with wash cycles, like a pair of vintage jeans. I recommend sewing either your standard size or even going down one size if you want a more fitted garment. The Tees shown in these photos are made in my standard size. You can tell they are fitted but have a bit of slack, giving a relaxed look.
1. The Crew
Comfi Tee by Pattern Scout has a really classic fitted crew neck. The top is drafted down to your waist, but I cropped it quite a bit for my version. The other change I made is the width of the neckband. The pattern’s neckband will come out to be 5/8″. Since pointelles have that sweet dainty look, I wanted a narrower neckband, and went for 3/8″. Your neckband pattern piece measures 2″ wide, but you will fold it in half and attach it to the neckline. To get the 3/8″ wide neckband, you just need to reduce the width of the 2″ band to 1.5″. Then when you fold it in half, it will be 3/4″. And when it’s sewn with the 3/8″ seam allowance, you’ll end up with 3/8″ showing.
2. The Scoop
Agnes by Tilly and the Button has a scoop neck which can be more sweet and feminine. It also comes with an already narrow 3/8″ neckband, so no neckband modifications here for me. In the pattern, TATB recommends changing the neckband length depending on your fabric. For our 100% cotton pointelles, I recommend reducing the length of the neckband piece by about 5-10%. This pattern comes with many variations but the Tee I made here is the most basic version.
3. The Baby Tee
- Pattern: Orlando by Seamwork
- Fabric: Champagne Gabby Cotton Pointelle
- Favorite Detail: The cap sleeves
Orlando by Seamwork has a fitted scoop neckline similar to Agnes, but it comes with the most perfect cap sleeves. I wear cap sleeve Tees a lot in the summer. It is my favorite type of short sleeve and pairs with the baby T look so well. I wanted this to be a little more fitted than how it sewed up so I ended up taking in about 3/8” at both the side seams. Like the Comfi Tee (#1), I also made an adjustment here to narrow the neckband to 3/8” for a more soft, feminine look. The neckband length is perfect as is for attaching to the neckline, so no adjustments here.
I have also been testing various decorative stitching to add dainty details to pointelles, and my favorite result is the scalloping I did on this neckline. See our blog dedicated to how to do this (without stretching out the neckline).
The T Shirt Dress
It’s the same pattern as the crew, but modified to be a dress. The Comfi Tee comes drafted down to the hip, the widest part of your body. To modify the pattern to be a short dress is very straightforward. I added about 10″ of length from that hip point, drawn straight down parallel to the grainline. If you want to make it even longer, just add more length. If you make the dress very long you may need to add a slit to make walking easier.
I suggest making the top version first and seeing if you like the fit around your hips. If it doesn’t feel too tight or too loose, then a simple length extension is all you need for a short dress. You can also apply this method to the other Tee patterns.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice I finished the neckband differently than I did for the Tee. This method encases the neckline but I really find both methods equally effective and satisfying.
This is also our Chloe pointelle, which has good thickness and is opaque. The Abby Pointelle I used for the fitted Ts would be slightly see-through if I used it for a dress, so I picked this Ditsy Orange Floral Chloe Pointelle instead.
The Beach Set
The Beach Set uses the knit in the most modern way: a skirt and a cropped cardigan. Like the fabric used in the T shirt dress, this is also made with our Chloe Pointelle, which is great for bottoms. I had wanted to make a knit skirt for a while, and drafted this pattern myself. The Beach fabric had a few inches on the roll where the openwork skipped which I thought would be perfect for the waistband!
The cardigan pattern comes with a cropped version but I still needed to remove 1.5″ of length so that it would look best with the skirt. I made further neckband, waistband, and cuff width adjustments to better match the skirt. I love the set together but on hot days, I usually wear the skirt with a Tee or tank.
I hope this gives you some ideas for what you can make with our pointelles! In the next blog post I will cover decorative stitches that complement pointelles, like the one I did on the Baby T.
If you have further questions or ideas for pointelles that you want me to test out, let me know! Happy sewing and happy summer everyone!
– Tina