Classic Tee...

 I have made a lot of t-shirts.  I never had an issue with the neckband until this fabric:

It is 100% cotton jersey which in my mind should have been perfect for a t-shirt.  Not so much.  I have decided that never again will I attempt a cotton jersey for t-shirt.  I really think that the only way a jersey will work for a neckband is if it has lycra in it.  I never had a neckband stand out from my body before.  I did make an alteration to this pattern by raising the neckline.  I very carefully measured the neckline and calculated the size that the neckband needed to be.  Of course, I did not notice the problem until after the neckband had attached by the serger and then the coverstitch.  Of yeah, I had fun removing those stitches.  

After the removal, I double-checked the length of the neckline on the top against the pattern.  The neckline was fine.  The only thing that was not was the neckband. It had stretched by approximately 3-inches.  I cut out another neckband from the fabric.  After some consideration, I decided that might not be a good idea.  Why would I expect different results with the same fabric?  

Now, I started considering different finishing options.  I could serge the edge, turn, and coverstitch but that would defeat raising the neckline.  Then, I thought maybe I could find some white ribbing and attach it with the serger.  The stash did indeed yield some white ribbing.  Here is the results:

The tee turned out okay.  I am happy that I was able to save the top because I really like the print and color.  I will avoid 100% cotton jersey in the future for a t-shirt with a neckband.  I am guessing that the issue is a mismatch between the fabric and the pattern.  Overall, this will be a much needed top in the wardrobe. It fits a little better than what I can purchase. The pattern needs a little more tweaking. 

Happy Stitching!