SUMMER SEWING FUN

I have this sinking feeling that summer is almost done…..well my time for sewing up a storm is pretty much over…….sewing shows & traveling awaits around the corner. But I did get quite a bit of sewing done recently. Bit of a story……similar to ones I hear from you! My sewing machine needed the “hospital” as I was a naughty girl and had not had it serviced for far too long.

So I had to be creative with my Elna 945 serger and Janome Coverpro 1000. As I love knit fabrics so much, it goes pretty much without saying that I use these 2 machines a LOT when I sew garments. But I often do top stitching or add binding etc with  my regular sewing machine. So……what was I to do? Being determined to finish this dress I did the ENTIRE dress with these 2 sergers  –  NO sewing machine. I kid you not. It is quite exciting to see what all you can do with chain stitch……and actually the chain stitch is much stronger than a straight stitch on a regular sewing machine…..and it stretches with the knit fabric which a straight stitch won’t do …..pop goes that seam!

This is my 3rd go with this dress: Jalie pattern #3024 and I like it more each time I sew and wear these dresses. My intention is to sew the other styles on this pattern as well….but when you have a winning formula it is hard to break from it.

This dress pattern has been featured on this blog before…..click this link.

Close up: I used a soft ITY fashion knit print and contrasted this with lime green bamboo knit

seams serged with my trusty 4 thread knit stitch program which automatically adjusts tensions for stretch fabrics.

Hemline done with the Janome Coverpro 1000 CPX using 2 thread narrow. Note: I always use stay tape for these applications to prevent puckering. ITY knit is way too soft to just turn up and do a coverhem.

Neckline and armholes were bound with the bamboo knit. I serged the binding to the dress right sides together and then flipped it over to encase the seam and pinned in place. THEN I stitched chainstitch in the ditch on the front/right side, removing the pins as I went.

Lastly I trimmed the excess binding away on the wrong side. I always make my binding wider than I need as it is SO much easier to work with wider strips than fiddle around with narrow ones. Then I trim down. Of course, it won’t unravel as it is a lovely bamboo knit.

Better wear this dress a few more times before the winter woolies have to get dragged out. No red & orange leaves yet so we are good for now?!