Sewing Knitted Fabric

During June I did put together this little number.  The pattern was from a favourite top which I cut up to use the pattern but becasue this knitted fabric was more stretchy it ended up being a wrap around with a ribbon tie. I added lace trim on the edge.  I did have to hand sew it on becasue the sewing machine kept missing the edge.  I gathered around the bottom of the garment so it has a ballooning effect.  It's very warm and quite elegant.

If I made it again I would cut the waist slightly lower.  I didn't allow for the seam allowance so it sits just a little bit too high - not much but I would have liked the waist to be down an inch.

I got the knitted material  at Sakaguchi's annual sale. I thought it would be hard to sew but it wasn't and it didn't unravel.  It behaved itself admirably.

I found a good tip on making sure that the overlocking doesn't unravel.  You leave a rats tail on the end of the stiching and then thread a needle and sew it in like you would when you put together an actual  knitted garment.

If you wonder if I have disasters.  Yes I do!  I have a half assembled blouse.  The fabric is so flimsy and hard to sew and it doesn't fit and it's not doing what it is supposed to. I think it is going on the scrapheap!  Lesson learned.  Just becasue you like the material, doesn't mean it will be easy to sew!  Be fussy about what you choose.  Getting ambitious is when I am often faced with disaster but then again, I'm not going to get good at sewing if I don't take a few risks now and again.

Lace Skirt - Burda Easy 8155

It wasn't until I joined the sewing bloggers fraternity that I realised that it is perfectly normal behaviour to be a fabric stroker.  I can spend my whole lunch hour stroking divine fabrics - I suppose it is my equivalent of window shopping.  I find the feel of beautiful fabrics therapaeutic - more so than even the colour or pattern.   I feel rather wonderful after such an outing.  I go alone so there is no discussion needed and the lovely people at Fabric Vision - well I guess they know it is all part of the joy and eventually I will buy something.

Remember this lovely image - it's actually a burda pattern for the cardi but I loved the lace skirt.  So I had my eyes pealed and  saw a  similar fabric in Spotlight, and grabbed it.  It is such a  lovely piece of fabric that I was afraid to cut into it and so spent the month of July procrastinating and getting it out and putting it awayt!

But yesterday I decided to feel the fear and do it anyway!

I used

Burda Easy 8155 - it's my third skirt in this pattern and they have all come out quite different!

Look - it's turned out just fine.  I lined it with grey coloured synthetic fabric so that I was sewing a double layer.  I didn't want the seams to show and the lace was slightly stretchyt and the lining was not!  I also decided to do a wee embellishment on the waistband - a grey strip to break it up.

 Mine rides up a bit more than hers!  But love it standing up - I'm imagining myself at a wine and nibbles event where I will be standing and socialising.  Just note that when I first put the lining in I made it perfectly meeting the bottom of the lace.  But when I sast down the lace rode up more and you could see an inch of the lining.  So I redid it so that the lining comes to about 1.5 inches above the hem.

  

Lovely scalloped edge which graced the hem.

 Detail at waistband. 

Another invisible, invisible zip - now that I know to unzip the zip iron out the curl I can get it oh so invisible!

It's still winter here so I am putting it away so that I have something to wear for when it's gets warmer.