What's the best way to sew many strips of fabric together?

Question

I'll be sewing lots of red and blue stripes together, then making a shirt out of it. I would like it to be as seamless as possible. Thanks!

Answer 1

One way you could do it is the way I made my quilt. Put two pieces of fabric together with the insides facing in. Then, sew one edge of the fabrics together using the simple stitch. Make sure you use double thread so its secure or you can try using a sewing machine which are really a lot easier than they look and will save you a lot of time. Keep adding fabrics the same way by putting them together with the insides in and sewing one edge. To make it more seamless, open it up when you finish and iron it flat. The threads will not show and it will be secure!

Answer 2

I agree with Kay, you can't be very seamless, but you can be fast.  Make wide strips, then sew together with a serger.  If you use a gray thread on all spools, then it should blend with your colors.  Pick a pattern that's as simple as possible (maybe raglan sleeves?) and cut a muslin base using a large, maybe 1 inch, seam allowance.  Pin base together to check for fit (watch for pins - ouch!)  then use base as a foundation or as pattern for lining up strips in desired pattern.  It should be beautiful all sewn together!

Answer 3

Seamless is not going to be possible.  You'll need one seam for each stripe of fabric unless you can find some printed or woven striped fabric you like.  So you just sort to have to cut some strips and start sewing.

Or you have to sew, then cut strip pairs if the stripes are going to be equal in width.

Then you'll have all the seams of the shirt pattern.

How do you intend to treat the raw edges of your fabric?  Assuming these are woven fabrics, cut on grain, the strip edges are going to ravel like crazy.  

And how do you intend to deal with the stiffness of all those seams?  Will you be using a longer than average stitch length for the fabric?