Skirting the Issue
Well I am - literally! I’m really happy with the embellishment treatment on the skirt… nothing like sweating out the details.
I ended up with three groups of three-vertical embroidery designs running down the front of the skirt. Repeated the pattern used on the bodice and added a complimentary version that was just a tad lighter.
Plus I got to finally do my box pleats!
Next was sewing the back of the skirt and adding the little ones name and birth date. Normally I’d do that about 2-months after the dress was sewn - but in this case our early arrival meant I could do it now.
Actually, it was a whole lot easier on the nerves being able to do it at this point. Before I’d be a basket-case adding the name to a fully finished and used dress.
What if I misspelled the name? Or tore the fabric? Or lined it up badly? Or ran out of thread? Or….or….or… yep I’m my own worst enemy sometimes. Sorry the picture is so bad, but you get the idea.
Okay time to sew the skirt sides. Because I used a French Seam on the sleeve underarm seams, and the back of the skirt, it stood to reason I’d do the same for the sides.
Pin, sew, press, trim to under a quarter-of-an-inch, re-press, turn the fabric inside out, and fold and pin to finish the French seam. Wait. What? No! NONONONONO! I didn’t - did I really?
Yes, Ann you did.
I sewed a beautiful seam, or it would be if I had been doing a normal seam. But for a French seam it was inside out. Now some people at this point would cry, but not me. I proceeded to question - quite loudly - my parentage, sewing skills, intelligence factor, common sense… and then I dug up my repertoire of swearing in Polish and German.
I remembered a lot!
I flatly refused to cut off that seam, that meant only one alternative - I got to try out a new rolled hem foot on a machine I’ve never used it on, on a Christening Dress for my nephew. No pressure here.
After several tense moments of testing - it sewed beautifully. I love my Janome machine.