Renfrew: The first wearable muslin

Totally inspired and fired up by Lauren's awesome post on sewing with knits, I decided to tackle the Sewaholic Renfrew Pattern and managed to get a wearable muslin in no time at all. It is not perfect but it helped me figure out any potential fitting adjustments and any challenging bits to sew. I wore it today to go out to the garden to cut a shrub and replenish the wild bird feeder.

I used remnants of a knit fabric I had on my stash since I don't know when. The fabric wasn't quite enough so I omitted the waistband. I figured to assess fit I really don't need it. I found it a challenge to knit in corners (or at the edge of fabric) as the fabric kept bunching up underneath. Lauren suggests using a walking foot and I'll be putting in a order today. Other than that it was really easy and quick to do. I still cannot warrant buying an overlocker so used my normal machine with a zigzag stitch.

I really shouldn't stick my belly out, especially after eating!

I definitely want to sew up a few more versions of the Renfrew, especially the 3/4 sleeved with a cowl. Not sure when though, as I have quite a few things going on at the moment. Saying that, you could easily do one of these in an evening so might make a few more in preparation for Spring.

Do you sew with knits? Do you use a normal sewing machine or an overlocker?