Monday, December 5, 2011

Chemise Dress, Take Two

The stars aligned--my omens were propitious--I needed something clean to sleep in--so I sewed another chemise!

It's a bit see-through, so I'll let Dottie model it (that immodest slattern):



Chemise: Cotton muslin, made with this pattern, only I made it a little wider at the sleeves and hem (for comfy sleeping) and a few inches shorter (for lack of material).




This is my first experiment with homemade bias tape, and I think I'm sold.  I followed the Colette Patterns tutorial, and since I don't own a bias tape maker, I followed the suggestion of one of the commenters and used a needle and an ironing board instead.  It was touch and go for a while, but eventually I got everything to work and attached the bias tape to my neckline.  It looks so neat.  Check it out:


Bias tape = confidence!  It's sturdy, too, which is a plus since I'll probably be washing this garment a lot.   If only it weren't such a pain in the ass to cut out and assemble, but I've decided it's worth it.  I find myself getting more and more detail-oriented the more confident I get with sewing, which sounds paradoxical--you'd think things would speed up as I master more techniques--but actually makes a lot of sense: basic construction and fitting issues are no longer consuming my attention, so I'm free to focus on the little stuff.  Straight seams.  Even hems.  Regular pressing.  And nice, clean edge finishes.


1 comment:

  1. it looks great! I was also totally blown away the first time I used bias. It can be fiddly to cut out and make however using the standard approach, however, Colette patterns did another bias tape tutorial that uses a different technique that is far easier! http://www.coletterie.com/tutorials-tips-tricks/continuous-bias-tape-tutorial I would also highly recommend getting a bias tape maker-they are soooooooo easy to use!

    ReplyDelete