This photograph shows the "fancy band" that goes around the bottom of the skirt of my little dress. It consists of 3 parts, the top is a strip of entredeux, the next is a small band of lace insertion, and the bottom is a larger lace that mimics one of the laces in the bodice of the dress.
I had been calling this fabric a dotted swiss, but when I looked back at my notes it is call hailspot voille. It is very sheer, and the dots are a little larger than those on a regular dotted swiss. It is also very soft to the touch. This band is attached to the skirt with a method that was new for me. Carol says that since the voille is so sheer, the entredeux could tend to pull away from the it. Instead of cutting the last strip of batiste from the entredeux, she sews it down in two steps. First time around is just a straight stitch in the ditch, then she turns the tiny batiste strip under an eighth of an inch, presses it, and sews it to the dress. Easier said than done, believe me. Her dress was perfection; the strip was pressed and sewn in such a narrow, even strip. AMAZING. It almost gives the effect of a ribbon. I used a number 10 edge foot to do it, and while it is not as neat as Carol's, I am still pleased with it.
Carol also uses a different method for a french seem. The first seam is a tiny zig zag that is trimmed right up to the stitch, then it is pressed and sewn right sides together with a straight stitch. I love the look.
I have finished the placket so all that is left is buttons, buttonholes and attaching the skirt to the bodice. And like Carol, I am savoring this experience!
Wowsie wow---a real professional at work---now you're getting into the big leagues with lace collars like this---what a lucky Issa---
ReplyDeleteI'm going into relatively serious solitude for a spell to get some productive work done on my writing project. Will check in with your blog every now and then, because I love seeing what you're up to, but likely not as often.
Happy sewing for those lucky girls!