Raw Edge Raglan Tee

Sewing this shirt is a breeze if you can read directions and follow diagrams which is not a strong point of mine. I'll be upfront, it is certainly less expensive to buy these tee shirts for $5 than it is to make them. It's not as fun though, and I cut costs by up-cycling my husband's ugly tee shirts and one of our jersey cotton bedsheets. I did purchase that skull cotton on sale at fabric. com though.

This shirt is meant to have the raw edge seams on the outside, giving it an inside out look. More comfortable next to kiddo's skin with no seams on the inside. I LOVE that there is no hemming involved!

M's shirt pictured here is my third and only successful attempt at making the shirt. The other two were super cute but sadly would not fit over any of my boys' melon heads. Tip- After sewing the neckband into a circle, check to make sure it fits over the kid's head before attaching it to the shirt. That was a duh moment for sure.

This ^ product wins the MVP award in my sewing arsenal. It comes in super handy for this step of the project:

  

I don't have water-soluble basting tape. I can't buy it in town, I'm sure. Frankly, I don't even know what it is. Elmer's School glue works great for stabilizing the neckband when it comes time to top stitch it down. No pins! Just squirt a thin line of the glue on the seam allowance, fold the neckband down about 1/8th inch past the seam and set it with a hot iron. Be sure to use "School Glue" though because it washes right out when laundered.  It's also well worth it to follow the authors' stitch length and width suggestion. I tried the stretch stitch on my machine instead and it didn't give me as much stretch.

This book is great if you have LITTLE boys to sew for. Sadly, M is the only one still small enough for these projects. My goal is to sew through this book faster than he can grow out of it.  Here's a link to the book if you are interested:

http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Boys-Projects-Handmade-Wardrobe/dp/product-description/0470949554