sewing solutions

So, what would you call this stuff? Waffle Knit? Mmmmmmm....waffles with crème fraîche, berries, and edible flowers. SOMEONE MAKE THAT BREAKFAST FOR ME.

It's only fair, hey, I made this for someone else! THAT'S RIGHT. I don't know what's come over me, but lately I've been making things for other humans. WILLINGLY AND WITHOUT EVEN HAVING BEEN ASKED.  

Expect lions and lambs to be chumming it up soon.

When I make something for someone else, I go really extra crazy over what the guts will look like. And as my serger downright refuses to play with knits (I know, she's essentially a doorstop now, I keep her on hand as a sort of hairshirt) I had to think of some creative solutions for the seams on this gal.  

It got me thinking about necessity being the mother of invention, and there are no problems, only solutions, and when life gives you a lemon serger... not that I've reinvented the sewing wheel here, plenty of peeps have used a zigzag topstitch before, but it was fun to think up an alternative to overlocked seams that would also hopefully add to the dress.

On the back neck and arms of this cowl dress, I used my Pfaff's awesomesauce triple stretch stitch to attach binding, graded the seams, then steam blasted it down with my iron (oooo you guys, I hope those of you who took the plunge like your irons!!), and topstitched with a zigzag...

The bumpiness of the fabric gave it a spongey kind of loft! I liked the topstitching so much, I did it right down both sides of the side seams as well, which you can see a peek of below...they're triple stitched, pressed open, and topstitched. Probably would not do that on a lighter knit, I think it would make the side seams a little wavy. But the waffle texture soaked the zigzagged thread right up.

Really seriously I need some waffles in my life like AN HOUR AGO.

I wanted a faced hem, but didn't want even an infinitesimal amount of extra width from a graded seam at the hemline, so I kept the edges of facing and hem raw, and zigzag topstitched again. 

I think the hem will fray a bit, in fact I hope it does, as I wanted this dress to be feminine with an edge, like the gal it will grace. Or rather, be graced by.

Roadblocks excite me, even when self inflicted. Especially when self inflicted! I shout at myself with glee: HEY! LOOK AT THAT GREAT BIG HOLE I JUST MADE AT THE FINAL STEP OF BAGGING A LINING! HOW WILL I EVER GET MYSELF OUT OF THIS JAM?! (true story, coming soon). Like I'm the James Bond of sewing, surrounded by crocodiles and villains with squinky eyes... though actually I think it would be more fun to play the villain. YEAH! I'm the Dr. Yes of sewing predicaments!!!  

Who are you when you find yourself in a fix?