test binding, forsaken
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 1:50PM In my little knit layette pattern, on which I am sedulously working behind the scenes here, I am very careful to suggest that, when sewing with any knit fabric that's unfamiliar to you, you sew a test piece of binding. I give instructions. I show pictures. Because it's not just a good idea, it's the key to your binding success.
This morning, in need of another bodysuit of which to take photos for the pattern, I grabbed a blue and a brown knit from my stack and went to town. Because I knew what I was doing, right? I didn't need to spend the extra few minutes to make a test piece of binding.
Oh, Erin. When will you learn to take your own advice?
The brown fabric seemed a little more reluctant to stretch than the other fabrics I've been using, but I tugged it and got it to fit, and pressed onward. Only when I finished this shoulda-been-so-cute bodysuit and pulled it on over the shoulders of the dress form here did I realize my mistake.
That binding is never going to let those shoulders go. It's just too tight. If I had sewn the darn test binding, I would have known that the brown fabric doesn't stretch as much as the blue, pink, or white fabrics, and at that point I could have adjusted my measurements accordingly. Perhaps, instead of cutting this binding 3/4 the length of the edges it was supposed to bind, I should have cut it 4/5. Or more. A couple of minutes would've saved a whole outfit.
Of course, I could claim that I sewed a whole bodysuit with a too-tight binding just to show you what not to do. That would balm my wounded ego.
Not as much as sewing another one done right, though, I guess. Back into the fray...
~Erin~
Reader Comments (1)
I have been watching you with this new pattern. I have wanted to try it, but now that I see you've made a mistake I can try it. I won't feel as bad when I mess up. I downloaded the pattern. Is it ok to use the size 2? And, I liked the tighter neckline better, is that from the pattern I downloaded today? I'd love it if you could also make some modification for a more 'shorts' look around the legs, so the diaper doesn't show. BTW, love your patterns and your site! Thanks!!
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