Toddler Undershirts

I did not like the choices the stores offer in undershirts for little girls.  I can find spaghetti strap camisoles very easily but I do not like them because a.) I am not a big fan of spaghetti straps in general and b.) when my step-daughter had those the straps were constantly falling off her shoulder.  I tried to find tank tops with wider straps but I couldn't find them small enough for my two-year old and what I did find were not just plain white; they were pink and purple or had pictures on them.  One day I was over at made-by-rae and I saw a pattern for tank tops for boys from Fishsticks and Fries (this post).  After much study in the use of knits I decided to give it a shot.  I altered the pattern slightly to be a little shorter, have a slight scoop neck, and have cap sleeves.  I also used 100% cotton interlock knit, which was nice because the edges don't curl and it is a little thicker so therefore much easier to work with.  I used a walking foot with my longest stitch length (my walking foot does not work with a zig-zag stitch).  It worked really well.

Here are the steps I took:
1. Right sides together, stitch the shoulders together.
2. Hem the sleeve ends by rolling the fabric under 1/4" and stitching down.  Since knits don't fray I did not roll over to cover the raw edges.  That helps keep down the bulk.
3. Attach elastic to the neck: sew upside-down on the right side, flip inside, topstitch to hold it down.  I used decorative elastic trip so it would be prettier.  The elastic was slightly shorter than the neck opening so I stretched it a little as I was sewing.  The Tank pattern has a great description of how to fit the neck edge on without having some areas too tight and others too loose.
4. Right sides together sew side seams together.  I started at the bottom and went upward toward the sleeve because it seemed easier.
5. Hem the bottom.  I turned the bottom inside approximately 1/2" and then did that again so the raw edges were hidden there.

It was really quick to put them together.  I bought 1 1/2 yards of 60" white interlock fabric (40% off coupon) and 3 yards of decorative elastic trim (20% off) from Fabric Depot here in Portland.  When all was said and done I got 7 undershirts, each costing approximately $1.50.