Friday, September 3, 2010

Everyone makes mistakes, that's what seam rippers are for....



Yesterday I was finishing up this shirt. (Please keep in mind my new camera had to get sent back for warranty replacement and my old one is being weird). The pattern is Simplicity 2894 and the fabric is the Lindy Leaf from Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane collection.

It turned out great. And really was not that difficult at all. I just lost focus. It was particularly bad because I was serging when I lost said focus. I was finishing up the inside seam where the sleeve meets the shoulder and BAM! I let it get a pinch. I am not sure if there is an official term for this. But for me a pinch is when you are working on a seam and fabric that should not be in that seam gets pinched into it. Everyone does it now and then. On a regular machine stitched seam you just pick it out and go on about your way. But when you are serging, typically the machine is cutting the fabric while it sews. This is a good thing when done correctly. You have a nice finished edge that looks just like the inside of all you snazzy store bought clothes. Well when you get a pinch on a serger you run the risk of cutting your fabric in a very wrong place.

Sewing is methodical and soothing and gratifying and so many things, that is can be easy to loose your concentration. But don't do it! As I was picking out the serged seam and the regular seam it appeared as though I was going to be able to save the sleeve after all. It was just pinched it was not cut! Until I got about 3/4 of the way through the sleeve removal and there it was a big hole! About 2 inches long. Oh what is a stitcher to do? I tried repairing it.  It did not look to my satisfaction. Thankfully had enough fabric left to re-cut the sleeve and go on with my shirt.

I was not entirely sold on how the pattern suggested to finish the sleeves. The options are to hem it and have a wide almost kimono sleeve or the do this weird half elastic half hem thing. Neither of these felt right to me. Therefore I busted out my old pal, fold over elastic! I can hear my friend Diana now - "you love fold over elastic!". Dear readers yes I do. And I must go ahead and thank Miss Angry Chicken for introducing me to it. If you are not familiar with Amy Karol aka Angry Chicken, check her out she pretty much rocks. And she started me on my love of Fold Over Elastic ("FOE"). The link above will take you straight to her tutorial so you can love it too.
I may be even more in love with FOE than ever because my new machine sews it like a dream! I would do a tutorial but Amy's is great so watch hers ;)

SSS Day 3


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