My fellow knitters, you all know this refrain. When a problem comes along, you must rip it!
Y'all, I had myself a few problems today in sewing my skirt, all of which were due, I would like to think, newness to the craft of sewing (although much of it was laziness, too, I'm sure). But all in all, no major, irreversible mistakes happened, and I am on my way to a wearable skirt!
Lessons learned along the way:
1) Don't pick a fabric printed with a crazy pattern just because you like the colors. I posted a while ago about having to be careful to cut my fabric because the motif repeats were kind of funky. I also wanted the motif to run up and down on my skirt. But because of the way the motifs were printed on the grain (ooh! new words! check me out!), I decided to cut the pieces the way the instructions said. Otherwise very bad things would happen. I am sure of it. So, I had to settle for the motifs running sideways, which I am convinced will make me look fat, but better that than BAD THINGS.
2) Don't sew straight edges, just because they are there. You may think this was obvious, but clearly, it was not to someone who had taken temporary leave of her senses. I got carried away sewing the straight edges on my two back pieces, and essentially sewed a tube. Or a skirt shaped pillow.
RIIIPPPPPPP!!!
3) Pick out the right fusible interfacing. Oh, and find the instructions on it, and use them. I think mine was too lightweight (I bought it off the bolt at Joann's), because when I ironed on to the facings, it didn't stick very well. I cranked up the heat on my iron, and then burned some of it into a sticky mess. Luckily, it scraped right off my iron once it cooled off. :-)
4) See number 2. Just because the edges match, do not mean they are meant to be sewed that way.
RIIIIIPPPPP!
Finally, most of it was done! I cut a lot of corners here, I must admit, because I finished the edges with my pinking shears, rather than get all complicated with a zig zag stitch. Too lazy to change the foot, dontcha know! Then I only took up about an inch of hem, because I didn't want to cut off the motif at the bottom.
I just need to run to the store and get a zipper, and put it in. That should be interesting....
